Love in a Ruined World
by Lilac Moon
Summary: AU after 1x22. As the curse breaks in Storybrooke, the world ends...literally. After an apocalyptic event hits the Land Without Magic, the survivors of Storybrooke attempt to face this new world, without magic and void of hope. But for Snow and Charming, they still believe love is enough to weather even this storm and try to make a new life for their family and friends.
1. Love in a Ruined World

**AN: This is a little idea I came up with after re-reading misscam's story: The End of the World(and After). It's a wonderful Snowing story about how the curse brought them to an apocalyptic Land Without Magic. Mine is a bit different of course, as the apocalyptic event in this world occurs just after the curse is broken and not at the beginning. I will accept prompts for this verse. I think it's a very interesting concept to explore. So enjoy and please consider leaving a review. And if you have a prompt you'd like to see written for this verse, please submit it!**

 **Everything is canon up until the end of 1x22 and then it's completely AU after that point.**

Love in a Ruined World

 ** _Snow and Charming_**

Snow White, who just moments ago, was simply Mary Margaret Blanchard, looked up at the man she loved more than anything. Who only moments ago was the man that had broken her heart. But none of that mattered any longer. They were Snow and Charming again and their love was stronger than any she knew. Whatever had happened during the curse was in the past. They would talk about it eventually, but then it would be left there, despite the bitter feelings she knew they both had about being forced to be with other people. No one had a choice during the curse, but now that time was over and it was a new day. She wasn't exactly sure what a non-cursed Storybrooke would look like, but she knew she could face anything with him by her side.

As it would turn out, the curse ending would mean the end of the world as well...literally.

If there was one thing Snow and Charming had learned throughout their lives; it was that life could change in the blink of an eye.

For Snow, her father dying turned her world upside down. As a girl, she loved her father and only saw the good side of him that adored her. But as she grew into a woman and looked back, she realized there was a darker side to him and that he was not the good man she once thought he was.

One day she was a Princess and the next she was a runaway living in the woods and fighting for her survival. Hope had nearly died inside her, until the moment she met a shepherd masquerading as a Prince, willing to fight for her and save her life from the Queen's soldiers and trolls.

For David, his life had also changed in the blink of an eye. One day, he was struggling to keep his mother's farm functioning and fighting to keep them fed. Poverty could create hopelessness, but he was always thankful he had his mother. When his mother suggested a marriage of financial benefit, he had refused. As good as it might have been for their farm, he insisted that true love was the one thing he could afford.

Then as a Prince, he learned that royals were brought up to marry for the good of their Kingdoms. True love was one luxury even they could not be allowed. But then he met a bandit, who didn't believe in love at all or even kindness supposedly. And yet she saved his life and tried on his mother's ring. And then he realized that the world was wrong about true love. That it was very rare and it was something that had to be fought for, even if it meant defying evil Kings and Queens and memory erasing potions and sleeping curses.

Yes, life could change in an instant, just as it had when the rainbow wave of magic swept over them. It was done; the curse was broken and with it, their real memories came flooding back. They found each other again and now they would find their daughter. They didn't know what an uncursed Storybrooke might look like, but they were anxious to know.

Unfortunately, that's when everything changed again and this Land Without Magic they had come to would change in the blink of an eye again. Whatever had been raging outside their town before the curse was broken had finally reached them. It was probably a saving grace that it had held off long enough for them to get their memories back. If it hadn't, they were both certain that there might have been more deaths in the beginning.

Reports of what had actually happened were slowly trickling in, as radio waves were the only form of any long distance communication left. Something had caused a worldwide blackout. No more electricity anywhere. Cell phones and cars went dead and the Internet was once again a pipe dream. The world had been blasted back centuries in a matter of days.

"Charming...what is that?" Snow had uttered that day, as they stood in the streets of Storybrooke, having just been reunited. He was seeing what she was seeing and could hardly believe his eyes. It was an airplane, falling through the sky, having probably taken off from upstate and now had no functioning power. He didn't say anything...he only grabbed her hand and they ran, as the plane crashed into the residential part of town. And jet fuel burned like a raging inferno.

Snow and David led efforts to put the flames out, as much as they could. The fire trucks no longer worked, but the hoses did. They pulled a few survivors from the wreckage, including Regina that day.

And in the blink of an eye, they faced an entirely new world. But they had each other and they found their daughter and grandson that day as well. That gave them hope; each other and those they loved. This was now a world in ruin, far worse than any cursed world any of them could imagine. Life was now about survival and they knew that they could only do so together.

* * *

 ** _Emma's POV_**

The blonde watched the couple with scrutiny. They looked like the same people she had known during the curse, but they carried themselves so differently. In the last two days, she had observed them fight for all of them in one minute and hold each other in tears the next. They were like two halves of one whole and so in love that it was surreal to her. She didn't believe in love; it had betrayed her long ago. But she had seen other things in the last two days that she didn't believe in either. So she supposed that if those were real, then maybe love was too. At least, their love was.

Two days ago, she had kissed her son goodbye and then watched him awaken miraculously. She had watched a rainbow wave burst forth and spread through the entire town. She had broken the curse, Henry had declared. She had just fought a dragon, so she figured that made sense.

And then in the streets, there they were. Her parents. _Her parents._ Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan were her parents...no Snow White and Prince Charming. And she didn't know what she was supposed to feel about that. The way they had looked at her with such awe and reverence had taken her aback. No one had ever looked at her like that, with unconditional love in their eyes, except most recently Henry. It was too much. Her best friend and the guy that had hurt her were suddenly gazing at each other like that too. They were in sync in a way David and Mary Margaret never were. They took charge and carried themselves almost regally in a way David and Mary Margaret never could. But she didn't have time to process any of that, because that was the day the world decided to end...literally, like out of a movie or something.

The actual event had happened just before the curse was broken and the whole world had descended into chaos in a matter of hours.

The actual official account of what exactly had happened was unknown. They had been able to piece together accounts from a few radio broadcasts that were still going. Radio waves were the only technology that were still going. It was being called simply: the Blackout. A complete and total loss of all electricity in the world. Cars, computers, phones, and all modes of transportation were useless. Millions died instantly that day, just from plummeting aircraft around the world crashing into heavily populated areas all over the globe.

Then the curse broke, lifting the barrier around town, and exposing them to a world now destroyed. The town was already chaos with the curse breaking, but outsiders had invaded their borders; survivors likely coming from ruined cities and scavenging for whatever they could find. The end of the world brought out the savages first. They hadn't been prepared, especially Gold.

Crashing aircraft was not their only problem. The world had given way to complete and utter chaos, bringing violent people from the outside, traveling town by town, taking what they could, and leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

Three of them had trashed through town and Gold's shop had been the first target. Pawn shops usually had a lot of gold and that's exactly what they had gone for. Her mind was still reeling from seeing Gold and a woman named Belle cowering before three violent men. She had sprung into action, but it was David and Mary Margaret that had left her stunned. Before she could get a shot off, they had swooped in and taken the three down with a few well placed arrows and slashes of a sword. Ultimately, she knew they had saved Gold and Belle's lives, but the damage had been done.

Gold was a mess, as he anguished over the tiny smashed bottle containing a potion in which he had planned to use to bring magic to Storybrooke. A potion bottled from the hairs of her parents, true love literally in a bottle. But now it was gone and they were left in a world in an apocalyptic state.

There was no magic, no modern convenience, and no way back to the Enchanted Forest. While Gold was a bit lost at how to survive without magic, she felt that way with modern technology. But it was her parents that seemed to excel at such. As a former bandit and a shepherd that grew up very poor, they were both good at surviving on the bare minimum and keeping hope alive in them all while they did it.

Invaders and scavengers were still a problem, but they were far more organized than the rest of the world seemed to be with her parents at the helm.

Every major government in the world had collapsed and some violent factions had formed as a result. But each group that had come this way had met a strong resistance in Storybrooke, the little town that didn't exist on any map. Yes, life these days was hard and many had not adapted well.

Regina and Gold were struggling with everything, especially Regina since she was forced to rely a lot on Snow and David. Gold was withdrawn and shell shocked, despite having Belle back in his life. The brunette had confessed to her that it was because there was no magic and practically no chance of finding his son. To never taste magic again and find the reason he had wanted the curse cast in the first place was a devastating thing for him.

Henry seemed to take to everything well enough and her parents had taken to him equally as well. They were teaching him many things about how to survive in this new world and she was grateful for that. And even more grateful when she had allowed them to start teaching her as well. They all missed electricity and modern convenience fiercely, but her parents seemed to adjust to it best. Though she was beginning to think that those two could be happy in any situation as long as they were together.

Those whose homes had been raided and destroyed by the falling plane, if they had survived, were living in bunks they had set up at Town Hall or at rooms at Granny's Inn. Most of the mansions, including Regina's, had been destroyed by the falling plane. However, the loft was still livable, though it had been pilfered through by scavengers. It afforded a bit of privacy, even though the door was revolving most of the day, between them, the dwarves, Red, Granny, Regina, Gold, and Belle.

They split a lot of their time between the loft and Granny's, as both acted as makeshift headquarters. So it didn't surprise her that morning when her parents returned, carrying some game they had caught. Emma still wrinkled her nose that the sight, even if this is what had been keeping them all alive for weeks.

"Ah good...put them in the back. Red and I'll skin and cook them," Granny said, as David did as she asked.

"It will do for now, but many of the animals are dead and those that aren't are migrating further away from town," Snow mentioned, the worry clear in her voice.

"Yeah...we've managed to scavenge enough canned food and non perishables for now. But next winter...I don't know…" Red mentioned, sharing her worry.

"David thinks we should start migrating as well," Snow mentioned.

"He wants to leave town?" Emma interjected, gaining her mother's attention.

"Not far...but there are farms on the outskirts of town and beyond," she responded.

"The farmland...yeah, because growing food is the only way I see all of us surviving next winter," Granny agreed. Snow nodded. Emma knew they were right, but something about moving further away from town didn't sit well with her. Which was silly, since she had been ready to ditch it weeks ago for Boston. She heard the big cities were nothing but absolute devastation in the wake of the blackout. They had no real way of estimating just how many people were dead, but she knew it was billions. She wouldn't be surprised if it was over half the world's population, a true apocalypse in the most horrifying of ways. But she knew they were right. They had to grow food and find other fresh water sources if they were going to survive. And Emma wanted to survive, for despite the world being in ruin, she finally had a family. And she would be damned if she let them go without a fight.

* * *

 ** _Regina's POV_**

For Regina, as she clutched Henry's pillow to her chest, the world was truly ending. Her curse was broken and with it, her revenge. Her revenge had nearly lost her Henry and now she felt like he was lost to her anyway with no curse to keep everyone apart.

But then her worries of all that faded away, as she saw fire in the sky and then nothing but blackness…

Her first memory after that was pain and she wondered idly if this was hell. Had the town come after her and sent her there for what she had done? But no...the town had not done this, she vaguely recalled. There had been an airplane of all things, falling from the sky and down upon them with quick devastation. Then sometime later, she heard voices; the voices of her enemies. She was positive she was dead then.

"Charming...I found her…" she heard Snow cry out. And with that, strong arms were pulling her from her from the sheer wreckage of her mansion and placing her on a makeshift gurney. Then the woman she had enacted her revenge on was pressing a cloth to the gash on her head, as the Prince and the Sheriff lifted the gurney to carrying her away from the flames.

"Whale...she needs medical attention," David barked.

"You want me to treat _her?"_ the doctor questioned.

"Yes…" Snow snapped. Yes, she supposed his callous nature would be a shock to her step-daughter, but then Dr. Frankenstein's moral compass was quite skewed, she knew. The look of disgust on Snow's face was one she wished she could enjoy, for she could see how repulsed Snow was that she had ever allowed the doctor to touch her during the curse. She wished she could enjoy that, but she didn't. Being with someone unwillingly was horrible. She knew this all too well. Being with someone when one isn't in their right mind was just as bad. And she had done it to them with a fake marriage and a one-night stand. Just to keep them apart and yet they still saved her life. She didn't know exactly how she felt about that.

The days ahead were hard...really hard. Regina had grown accustomed to a world with modern technology and its comforts. In the life before, as Queen, she had staff and servants to do the work and magic for everything else. But the end of the world had truly equalized all classes and she found herself struggling a bit with that. It miffed her more though that the two idiots didn't seem to be struggling much at all. They knew just what to do and how to take care of their little band of survivors. And they did it all while still making gooey eyes at each other. She was so ill-prepared for anything like this, but she still had Henry. She took heart at that, even if she had to now share him with his biological family. He loved them though and they clearly loved him. Snow and Charming were taking care of him and were the reason he was still alive. And though she loathed it, she had to be grateful to them both for fighting to keep them all alive in this burning world.

* * *

 ** _Gold's POV_**

It had finally happened. The Savior had broken the curse at last and now his real work would begin. Finding his son...he was so close now he could taste it. Until it was all snatched away from him again in a blinding flash. For all the possible futures he had seen, he had never seen this one. When that flying monstrosity fell from the sky, it ended many things, including his hope of finding Baelfire. He had thought at that point, at least if he could bring magic back, then he could fix it so he could still go look for him. Dead or alive, he still wanted to find him. But then that ended too when men from outside the town, from a world that had ended so abruptly, smashed their way into his shop. And like he had so long ago, he found himself cowering beneath them with Belle, pleading for their lives. His showcases were smashed, as gold and jewels and silver alike were greedily loaded into their sacks. But these were not men that left survivors. These were men that left death in their wake. It was a new world and these scourges intended to own what was left.

"Please…" he heard his voice plea, hating himself with every word uttered. The true love potion he had bottled lay smashed at his feet, thanks to these evil interlopers. Belle's eyes were wide with fear, as she faced down the barrel of a gun.

"Hey guys...should we take this one with us? I'd like something to keep me warm tonight," one of them hissed, causing more fear in Belle.

"Stop thinking with your dick and ice them," the other shouted, as they heard him cock the gun. Belle cried out in fear and hid her face in him, as he stared up at their assailant, absolutely powerless to do anything. Powerless...again. He was the Dark One, for the Gods sake, and yet he was at the mercy of cruel, feeble minded tyrants once again.

"Too bad...we would have had fun," he leered, as he prepared to shoot them. But a rustling behind him stole his attention and he turned just in time to see a blonde man spear one of his buddies through the chest and a beautiful raven haired woman put an arrow in his other friend's chest. He raised his gun, but his shock would be his undoing, for he wasn't fast enough. The man charged him, disarmed him, and then he knew nothing but a short pain before it all ended.

Rumple took grim satisfaction at these men's deaths, only sorry that he couldn't have caused it himself. He could scarcely believe it. His life had been saved by none other than Snow White and Prince Charming. Wonders never ceased, he supposed. But in this new world, this world of nothing and ruin, he recognized that it would be Snow and Charming that would help them all survive. Perhaps there would be a deal to be made later. Her certainly hoped so. He no longer had anything to offer anyone or hold over them. He loathed that with a passion and he remained in a state of shock for many days, despite Belle's presence. Snow White and her Charming prince still believed there was hope for them all. But Rumpelstiltskin didn't know if he could believe in hope anymore. He supposed the Charmings, as he affectionately dubbed them, might be able to have enough hope for them all though. It was an uncertain world with no magic or comforts. But there was still love, it seemed. Love...something he believed was weakness at one time. But now love...love might very well be the only thing that could save them; the only thing salvageable in an non-salvageable world...

* * *

 ** _Henry's POV_**

Since the moment Miss Blanchard had given him the book and he realized the truth behind it, Henry had craved adventure. But this wasn't exactly what he had in mind. Instead of awakening from the sleeping curse and celebrating the breaking of the Dark Curse, Henry found himself in a world not even he could have imagined.

Everyone remembered who they were, but it didn't seem to matter much now that the world was ending around them. It saddened him that many people, possibly half the town's population, was dead.

But his world still had hope. Both his Moms were alive and co-existing. They weren't fighting over him anymore and that made him really happy. And then there was his grams and gramps, who had taken to being called such far better than either of his Moms. He had taken quite well to them as well. He already had a good relationship with Mary Margaret and he found that Snow was even better. She was just as kind, but bolder and braver. Watching his grandmother shoot arrows and reading about her doing so were two very different things. He found himself in awe of her, for she was just as amazing as the stories said she was. Then there was Gramps. He was so sure of himself, so brave, and so patient in a way that David Nolan never could be. He was in awe of him as well and ecstatic when Charming had instantly taken him under his wing. He loved his Moms and grandma, but having a guy around to spend time with meant a lot to him, even in this destroyed world.

Henry began learning things that he was sure his Moms would have fought against if things had been different and the world wasn't burning. He was learning to hunt game and forage food from the land. He was learning to sword fight, even if it was just a wooden one for now. And he was learning to survive in a new world that was snuffing out life at an alarming rate. This was not a world of happy endings, but Henry still believed that someday, it could be again.

* * *

 ** _Snow and Charming_**

They had gotten rather lucky with the loft, she thought idly, as she placed a palm to his naked chest and rested her head there. She could still feel the perspiration on their bodies, as they lay entwined beneath the blankets. They still have a bed and the curtain around it. The loft still has most of its furniture, including the beds in the loft where Regina, Henry, and Emma were sleeping. There was a couch too that had seen better days and the kitchen table had broken legs, but they would fix that. Mary Margaret hadn't owned much jewelry, but they had taken what she had. Thankfully, her ring was always on her finger, for it was the only piece of jewelry she cared about. All in all, the loft had fared much better than most places, which were either destroyed or picked clean. Her modest home hadn't attracted the looters in the least. They were still afforded some privacy, despite the fact that it seemed their home had become a revolving door as sort of a home base. But they took the privacy at night when they could. The world might have ended, but it didn't change that they had been separated for twenty-eight years. They considered themselves lucky, despite everything. They had each other. They had their daughter and grandson. And they even had Regina, who was civil at best, but not ungrateful to them for all they had done in the wake of devastation.

"What are you thinking?" he murmured, as his lips trailed from her ear and down her neck.

"Mmm...that we're lucky in a very unlucky world," she breathed, as she lost herself in the sensations he was creating.

"The world is dying...but I feel more alive now than when I woke up," he confessed, as their eyes locked.

"Because you're you again and I'm me again," she replied and he responded by capturing her lips in a passionate kiss again. Hands roamed with new urgency and their bodies hummed. Desire and lust and love swelled between them again, as blinding passion and unspeakable pleasure consumed them again. The world was dying and there was no promise of tomorrow. But they were Snow and Charming again and whatever they would face would be done as they did everything. Together.


	2. True Aim

**AN: Thanks for the great response! If you have a prompt for this verse, please leave a review or PM me!**

 **Everything is canon up until the end of 1x22 and then it's completely AU after that point.**

 **Izzypirelli asked for this prompt:** **Snow takes Emma to the woods for her first bow and arrow lesson. David watches on, encouraging his daughter and admiring his wife. So here you go! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Please consider leaving a review and let me know what you think. You can also follow me on Tumblr Lilacmoon83.**

 **Thanks for all the great reviews! Here are individual responses:**

 **Number Ten: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!**

 **SecretLoveCara: Thanks! So glad you like it so far! It is a crazy thing to have happen just as the curse is breaking. It is a very interesting concept and I wanted to write something a bit different. Not just a world without magic, but a world with little hope where Snow and Charming would have to be that hope and truly shine as this is a situation where they would rise above everyone. So if there's any situation you'd like to see, feel free to share it and I'll see what I can come up with. :)**

 **catie20181: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Guest: Yes, completely without magic and modern technology as well. I'm glad you like the concept. I will see if I can come up with something involving Red and Granny, but if you have something specific, please share and I'll see what I can do. This verse has many possibilities!**

 **Bookinmydreams: Thanks!**

 **Austenphile: Thanks! Glad you love the concept. Revolution is where I got the idea to take out technology. I have been watching disaster movies again too like 2012 and I always find myself replacing characters with Snow and Charming. It never fails and I think they would just really excel in situations like this. There's no magic and no tech, so it leaves Regina, Gold, and Emma at a huge disadvantage. But Snow and Charming are in their element. Glad you like it!**

 **sexystarwarslover: Thanks! Glad you like the concept! Yes, with no magic, Belle and Rumple do have a different chance together. As for Neal...is that a prompt I hear? Lol, yes we'll find out if Neal survived. I know, I love Snow and Charming so much too! And Charming family. Hope you continue to enjoy and let me know if you have a prompt!**

 **izzypirelli: Thanks! Glad you like the concept. Yes, Snowing would definitely be in their element in a simple lifestyle. Thanks for the prompt! Hope you enjoy what I came up with!**

Love in a Ruined World

 **True Aim**

Emma followed Snow along the path through the woods, resisting the urge to complain. Since the blackout, she had seen far more of the woods than she ever wanted to. These last two months without modern convenience had been hell for her and many others. She knew her parents missed things about this world too...she just wished they would show it sometimes. Instead, they put on a positive front for everyone, complete with hope speeches and a make the best of it attitude. And then there were the gooey looks they were always giving each other and the over abundance of PDA. Most of the time, it was sweet and endearing. She saw a lot of the remaining townspeople draw strength from her parents and their happiness, even in this situation, they did bring hope.

But the making out all the time and the eye sex was a lot for a daughter to take, even if she was secretly thrilled to have parents at all, let alone parents that actually loved each other.

All of the foster homes she was ever in, that wasn't the case. Usually the parents fought and screamed at each other. Most would call each other horrible names and in some there was even physical abuse. So learning that she actually came from a love like this, the ultimate true love that set the example for all others to follow, was both humbling and surreal.

"Is this completely necessary?" Emma asked, as they finally reached a clearing.

"Absolutely...especially now of all times," Snow replied.

"Your mother is right. As much fun as I'm having with teaching you swordfighting, using a bow is essential for survival. It's the only way to catch long range game," David added.

"I still have my gun," Emma reminded. He nodded.

"Yes...but eventually the ammunition will run out and it's not readily available anymore. Arrows can be made," he countered. She nodded.

"Can you use a bow?" she asked curiously. He smiled.

"I'm not as good as your mother, but I can hold my own," he replied.

"Don't let his modesty fool you. He can hit a moving target from more than a hundred feet away. He saved me once doing so," Snow said, as she shared a love filled look with her husband. Emma rolled her eyes. Great...more eye sex.

"Or maybe my heart was invested in making sure I didn't miss saving my future wife," he replied, giving her a charming smile. She looked coy.

"You didn't know I was going to be your wife then. I had just thrown you into a river," she reminded.

"Maybe...but I knew when you tried on my mother's ring," he countered.

"That's when you fell in love with grams...at the Troll bridge, isn't it?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Sure was, kid...I think it took your grams a little longer to fall for me though," he replied, as he looked fondly at his wife. She turned and threaded an arrow with her bow.

"Oh I knew then...I'm just better at denial," Snow said, as she let the arrow fly and hit the tree dead center.

"I'm really good at denial too...guess I know where I get it now," Emma commented, as she took her bow and threaded the arrow as Snow had taught her to. The raven haired beauty smiled at that, appreciating that her daughter would even want to compare them.

"Okay...here goes nothin' I guess," Emma said, as she aimed and pulled back the bow string. The look of concentration on her face made David draw a sharp breath, for despite her light colored hair, she was the spitting image of her mother in that moment. She let the arrow fly and it whizzed past the tree and landed on the ground. Emma's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"Well I suck," she muttered.

"No, you do not suck. You should have seen me the first time I used a bow. I couldn't even properly extract an arrow from the quiver," Snow said.

"Your mother is right...I was a terrible swordsman at first, horrible in fact. But I learned and so will you," David added, as they shared a smile. Emma was bolstered a bit by their confidence and then annoyed by more eye sex. She threaded another arrow and aimed again. But this one too flew passed the tree, albeit nicking it slightly. Emma sighed in exasperation.

"If I can't hit a tree...then how do you expect me to catch game? Can't I just stick to my gun?" she asked. David chuckled and shook his head.

"No...but maybe you need a spotter," he said, as he and Snow shared another smile. Emma drew back another arrow and felt him standing behind her. He steadied her elbow and guided her arrow.

"When you're shooting a bow, you have to let go of your emotions. You won't hit anything if you're too upset," he instructed.

"He's right...just relax and find your target," Snow instructed. Emma blew out a breath and saw the spot where her mother's arrow was. With that, she let the arrow fly and watched in amazement, as it hit just to the right of her mother's. They smiled at her.

"You did it!" Henry exclaimed. Her surprise melted into a grin and she hugged him.

"Yeah...I did…thanks," she told them.

"You're welcome, but that's just the beginning. It gets harder when the target is moving," Snow said. Emma nodded, but was truly ready to learn. This was something she had never expected to learn, but it was a new world and if there was one thing Emma Swan was; it was a survivor. She had just never realized that her parents were also survivors and that she could learn from them. It was bittersweet and life as they knew it was forever changed. It was much harder and far more dangerous now, but they were finally together as a family. It was in a way none of them imagined, but it was still great, despite the ruin around them. Because just as brave could come from broken, love could also come from ruin...


	3. No Ordinary Town

**AN: Sexystarwarslover asked about Neal so I decided that was kind of a prompt. Did Neal survive the end of the world? This is part 1 of 2 for this prompt.**

 **Thanks for the great reviews! Keep them coming! Here are individual responses:**

 **Izzypirelli: You're very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed your prompt! I know, I love writing Emma's dynamic with Snowing. I liked David's explanation too and the fact that Emma realizes that in this new world, even though they are the same age, there is a lot she can learn from them. Glad you like the references too! And I LOVE flirty Snowing with all my heart. :)**

 **Austenphile: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it so much!**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Yeah, family bonding time, even in this kind of world. Yep, I decided that a lot might be interested if Neal survived so this is part 1 of a 2 part piece. Glad you asked about possibly people coming from the EF. We will definitely have to see if that happens in the future. They'll be in for a bit of a rude awakening if they do. Yep, hope speeches and eye sex. It's the stuff that Snowing does best. Yes, they are finally getting to teach their daughter and grandson many things! Glad you enjoyed it!**

Love in a Ruined World

 **No Ordinary Town**

"Did you get anything?" the man asked, as his scavenging partner came out of the small, ruined hardware store.

"A bit of rope and some yard tools. It's pretty picked clean," the other said, as he looked around the dilapidated town. Truthfully, it seemed that this town was one of the better off ones. He had seen most towns this size completely leveled by destruction and looters. Mid-sized cities were disaster areas and it was said that New York was so dangerous now that the group that had taken the stronghold of leadership there murdered migrating people on sight. But this strange little town, though half of it had been decimated by a falling plane, almost seemed like it was fairing a bit better.

"You know Jake, I've lived in Maine my whole life and I ain't never heard of this town," he mentioned.

"So what?" Jake responded.

"So...I've traveled this whole state and I'm telling you, this Storybrooke ain't on any map," he answered.

"Hank...no offense, but I'd be really surprised if you could even read a map," Jake replied.

"Very funny...so what now?" he grumbled.

"Well, you're not wrong about this little town not being a bad place to set up shop. A lot of these buildings are still solid...kind of weird," Jake mentioned.

"Yeah, it's out of the way and might make a good base. But what if someone's already claimed this turf?" Hank asked. Jake smirked and cocked his gun.

"I got a gun and that box of ammo we found that says we take it from them," he replied, as they headed for the Town Hall building and saw that it was being used to house people. The hall was filled with cots and it had been turned into a community living space. It would be perfect for their use, once they chased everyone out. They raised their guns and pointed them.

"Everyone out...this is our building now," Hank stated. Everyone in the whole place froze, as these two men strolled in. But no on moved, despite their weapons.

"Are you all deaf?" Jake bellowed. Hank waved his gun.

"Anyone who doesn't get out now...is gonna get lead poisoning," he threatened.

"I don't think so…" an elderly man with an accent said. Hank looked amused.

"Is that so, old man? And what makes you think that? Because you can't possibly think you could take us," he hissed.

"He doesn't...but then he's not the ones you have to worry about," the ginger haired man next to him said.

"Oh and I suppose it's you, huh four eyes?" Jake spat.

"No...I think he means us," a female voice said. The two turned to find a man and a woman standing in the doorway, armed with a sword and a bow. The two snickered, as the one on the right raised his gun. But before he could get a shot off, the raven haired beauty shot an arrow and he found it sticking out of his hand faster than he could blink. He cried out in pain and dropped the gun. The other man was so shocked that he never saw the blonde man coming. He was elbowed in the face and quickly disarmed, finding himself in a headlock.

"Archie...Marco...grab those guns for us," David said, as Snow kept an arrow leveled at the other thug, just as Emma hurried in. She rolled her eyes half heartedly.

"Guess you two have this under control," she drawled, as David cuffed the one he had disarmed.

"I only have one pair of cuffs on me, so if you could get the other," he said. She smirked and gladly cuffed the other.

"Didn't I give you a spare pair?" Emma asked curiously. David stopped for a moment, trying to think of where he might have left the spare pair. A quick look to his wife's expression told him everything though, as she winced. He shared her wince, realizing exactly where they were.

"Uh...I must have forgotten them in the loft," he replied vaguely. He would never say exactly where in the loft and that they were still fastened to the posts on the headboard of their bed. She then shared a secret smile with her husband. The world may have ended, but that certainly hadn't stopped them from having fun. And playing Bandit and Sheriff was a very fun game.

"Who the hell are you people?" Hank demanded to know.

"They're our leaders," Archie answered for them.

"And no thugs are going to come in and just take over...not our town," Marco added passionately. David smirked.

"That's right...you boys picked the wrong town," he added.

"Thanks for the extra firearms and ammo though," Emma commented, as she confiscated their weapons.

"What are you going to do to us?" Jake asked wearily, noticing the badges on their hips.

"What would they do to you in any other town?" Emma questioned. She knew the answer though. They had heard about capital punishment being carried out for crimes like these. The ruthless regime that had taken a stronghold in New York held executions daily to instill fear and order into those under their rule. They were silent and the looks on their faces told everything.

"That's what I thought. You two don't know how lucky you are," David said, as she marched them to the station and locked them up in the cells.

"I think you were right," Emma said suddenly, once they were out of earshot.

"About what?" David asked.

"About moving further away from town," she replied. They nodded. They knew it was coming. As soon as it got a bit warmer, they were going to plant crops from what seeds they had been able to scavenge. That was one reason Storybrooke was going to fare better than the rest of the world. The greenhouse had a stockpile of seeds of various kinds, thanks to the curse. They had never really actually needed to plant during the curse. The magic of the curse had just provided what was needed. They had the supply under lock and key, for if it was discovered by poachers, it would be unlikely they would be able to make it through the winter.

"Yeah...these two were mild I'm sure, compared to others that may wander into town," David agreed. Snow clutched his hand.

"Do you think the people that have taken over in New York could find their way here?" she asked, a touch of trepidation in her voice. He looked over at her and Emma marveled again at their silent communication. It was not lost on her these days that these were her parents and watching them share such a connection made her both hopeful and fill with worry. Now that she had found them and they had found each other again, what would it do to her if she lost them again? Or if they lost each other.

"There's a chance they could eventually come here. But if we move into the farmland and the woods, it's going to be a lot less likely they'll find us," David said. They knew summer was not going to be the real problem, but the next Maine winter. It went without saying that surviving a Maine winter without sturdy buildings was a slim to none chance.

"What about the caves...you know, beneath the library?" Emma asked. They smiled at the idea.

"That's actually a really good idea. It's a large area and no one would find our supplies there," he mentioned.

"And with enough torches, we could keep it well lit and we'd be protected from any storms," Snow added.

"It just might be our best chance," he agreed. Their discussion was interrupted though, as Archie came running into the station with a bird.

"This bird arrived at the Town Hall and is frantic. I think he's looking for you," Archie said to Snow, as the bird landed on her shoulder and she listened.

"It's from Grumpy," she said. The two men in the cells looked at each other in disbelief and then back at these people.

"He says there's another small group of people crossing the town line. They look like migrants, but he can't be sure," she reported.

"We better go make sure they're not a threat," David replied.

"Did she just claim that the bird talked to her?" Hank asked.

"She did...let's just say this isn't your ordinary town," Archie replied, as he left as well.

"Great...of all the towns, we landed in one run by crazies," Jake complained.

* * *

Neal Cassidy shifted his tattered backpack on his shoulder, as he crossed the town line. Finally...he was here and truthfully, before the disaster hit New York, he was ready to run into hiding. But shortly after he received the postcard from August about the curse being broken, all hell had broken loose in the world, quite literally. It was at that moment that Neal realized that, despite his anger and hurt he felt toward his father...he needed to find him. There was nothing like the end of the world to make you realize what was really important.

So, he fibbed to his fiance, Tamara a bit, and told her that his father lived in a small town that was out of the way and might have fared better than most larger cities. She naturally asked if she could bring a few friends and he agreed. At this point, they were all survivors and so far, her friend Greg and the others whose names he couldn't recall at the moment, weren't violent or difficult. It had been a fairly uneventful journey from New York the last few months, but he soon realized that they were about to face a bit of scrutiny. He was surprised they had a guard on the town line, but probably shouldn't have been. So when seven short men emerged from the woods around the town line carrying pickaxes, he quickly put his hands up in surrender.

"If you're looters or pillagers, I advise you to turn back now...if you know what's good for you," the bearded one growled, as he clenched his axe.

"Whoa...we're just migrants trying to escape the cities. We don't mean anyone any harm," Neal pleaded.

"Yeah...we'll see," Grumpy grumbled, as they looked to see an attractive couple approaching, hand in hand. Neal was instantly stricken by them, for he could see the resemblance between them and Emma. These were her parents...the people his father's curse had forced to give her up. He found himself speechless and then his eyes widened, as he finally saw her behind them.

"Neal?" she exclaimed.

"Emma…" he breathed...


	4. Blast From the Past

**AN: Neal and Emma come face to face for the first time in eleven years. And she gets the shock of her life. Meanwhile, Snow and David are weary of the people that came with Neal and more outsiders in general. But avoiding them in this new desolated world seems unavoidable now that Storybrooke is no longer protected.**

 **Thanks for all the great reviews! Keep them coming! Here are individual responses:**

 **izzypirelli: Yep, they did pick the wrong town. The people knew a couple of idiots like that were no match for Snowing! Haha, yeah I couldn't help but throw that in with the spare pair of handcuffs. Snowing still finds ways to have fun, even in this world. I will definitely take M rated prompts and work that one in soon! Yes, I thought bringing in birds as a form of communication made sense now and I love including Snow's ability in my stories. Tamara and Greg are going to be an interesting inclusion since Greg still wants revenge, but essentially, magic has been destroyed, so Tamara isn't quiet sure what to do with herself. Doesn't mean she won't cause trouble though. Oh yeah, Charming wants to punch Neal. Will he though? :)**

 **Austenphile: Thanks! I know, I love Snowing taking on the looters. And yeah, Rumple is in for quite a surprise!**

 **sexystarwarslover: Yep, a bit of a cliffie there! Yes, unfortunately, Storybrooke is now no longer protected against outsiders. Oops...yep, Snow and Charming were playing bandit and sheriff, haha. Yep, Neal is here and Emma's in for a shock! Glad you're enjoying!**

Love in a Ruined World

 **Blast From the Past**

"If you're looters or pillagers, I advise you to turn back now...if you know what's good for you," Leroy growled, as he clenched his axe.

"Whoa...we're just migrants trying to escape the cities. We don't mean anyone any harm," Neal pleaded.

"Yeah...we'll see," Leroy grumbled, as they looked to see an attractive couple approaching, hand in hand. Neal was instantly stricken by them, for he could see the resemblance between them and Emma. These were her parents...the people his father's curse had forced to give her up. He found himself speechless and then his eyes widened, as he finally saw her behind them.

"Neal?" she exclaimed.

"Emma…" he breathed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I was in New York...when it happened. We managed to escape before things got really bad," Neal said, motioning to the people traveling with him.

"Yeah...I hear it's pretty bad there," Emma mentioned.

"You're Neal...the man that sent her to prison?" David snapped, catching Emma completely off guard.

"David…no," Snow admonished, holding him back. She blinked, surprised by his protectiveness, but probably shouldn't have been. She saw that Neal looked a little terrified of David too and she found herself smiling a bit smugly at that. She would enjoy Neal being afraid of her father a lot more than she ever thought.

"This is a hell of a coincidence...that you just happen to head for Storybrooke," Emma mentioned. He swallowed thickly, feeling that he was going to get that punch soon, after all.

"Yeah...about that. This probably isn't the greatest place to talk. I know resources are tight...but do you think we can settle here? We've been traveling a long time," he mentioned. Emma looked back at her parents, petrified by what Neal's presence could mean. She'd have to tell him about Henry and she had lied to him about his biological father.

"You hurt our Emma and now you want us to show you kindness?" David exclaimed.

"Our Emma? Just who the hell are you people?" Tamara asked.

"We're her parents," David blurted out without thinking. The people traveling with Neal looked all had varied looks for him, all that said they thought he was crazy or something. Snow squeezed his hand. Sometimes it was easily forgotten that Storybrooke was no longer isolated from the outside world. To the people of Storybrooke, it was not strange for them to think of Snow and David as Emma's parents, despite there being no age difference. But to people outside their borders, it looked to be impossible. Except Emma noticed that Neal's expression didn't show disbelief or surprise at all. And she wanted to know why.

"You can all settle in town for now," Emma said vaguely. She didn't say that they would soon be relocating to the farmland on the outskirts of town and then next winter to the underground tunnels. She wasn't keen on any of these people following them and hoped they would get the idea eventually and move on.

"We need to talk," Emma hissed at Neal.

"Yeah...Tamara why don't you follow Snow and David into town. Emma and I need to catch up a bit. We'll be along," Neal replied, not missing the shock on her parent's faces that he knew their names.

"Snow? Like Snow White?" Greg asked in disbelief, garnering chuckles all around.

"Keep laughing at my wife and you can sleep in the woods for all I care," David growled.

"Baby please...you know it doesn't bother me. Maybe I should go back to Mary," she murmured.

"You're Snow...it's your name and it's beautiful," he refuted. She smiled at him and cuddled against him.

"Yes...but it is a lot for people to take," she mentioned, as they were both reluctant to leave Emma.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he asked. She smiled at them and they hugged her between them.

"I'm fine...Henry's going to hate me though. I told him his birth father was dead...what am I going to do?" Emma asked, slightly panicked. Despite the fact that she swore that her parents had nothing to teach her, because they were the same age and relatively sheltered by Storybrooke, she found herself to be wrong about that.

At first, she realized they could teach her about surviving in this new world and that's all it was. As for advice about life and raising her kid, she insisted those were experiences that they couldn't help with. But she was realizing that wasn't completely true either.

"You're human...you made a mistake," David offered.

"He's right sweetheart. We can try to explain it to Henry for you. Maybe it will soften the blow and then you can talk to him," Snow offered.

"You guys shouldn't have to do that...I can't expect you to fix my problems," she lamented.

"Emma...that's exactly what we're here for. I know we weren't around to fix them when you were growing up, but we are now and that's what parents do. They fix things for their kids," David said.

"He's right sweetie...we want to do it. We want to help you and Henry...he's our grandson," Snow added. She sighed.

"Yeah...maybe it would be better coming from you guys first," she said. They nodded.

"We'll take care of it...but I'm still not sure I like leaving you alone with _him,_ " David said, glaring past her at Neal. She smirked.

"Don't worry...I can handle Neal and he's definitely afraid of you, if that's any consolation," Emma offered. He smirked a bit smugly.

"A bit," he said, as he slipped his hand into Snow's and they led Neal's four friends back to town. Emma crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"Start talking…" she said. He sighed.

"Emma...I'm sorry," he offered.

"Don't care...just tell me why you weren't surprised when David announced he was my father. Your friends thought he was crazy as most people would," she replied.

"I'm not surprised...because I know about the curse," he announced. She looked at him in disbelief.

"How?" she demanded to know.

"Because August told me...and I'm from _there_ too," he replied. Her mouth hung ajar and she put her hands to her head, trying to wrap her mind around that.

"What...how…?" she stammered.

"Because I'm the son of Rumpelstiltskin and the reason he wanted the curse cast," he announced, not surprised by the dumbfounded look on her face.

* * *

Snow and David led their guests back to town, hand in hand, with Snow eventually leaning her head against his arm, as they walked, always drawing comfort from being close to him. He smiled at her indulgently and slipped his arm around her waist at that point, cuddling her close to his side. They were never shy or afraid to express their affection in public. Most in their town were used to this kind of thing from them, but their guests were not and they could almost feel the disdain from the four strangers. Not that they cared in the least. There would never be anything that made them refrain from expressing their love. People in this land did not understand a love like theirs. They didn't understand how they had fought for what they had and how many times they had found each other, only to usually lose each other again. They may have had a grown daughter now, but in many ways, they were still newlyweds and this was almost longest amount of time that they had been together without a separation. The other longest time had been the first year of their marriage before the curse, in which had been marred by the threat of being separated. Many may have considered this world ruined and beyond saving, but for Snow and Charming, they were together, and therefore could be happy, despite the situation.

As they reached town proper, or what was left of it, Greg took it all in, as the memories came back to him from that fateful day. He glanced at Tamara and nodded to her, as they followed the pair.

"So you really expect us to call you Snow White, pixie cut?" Tamara called in a condescending tone. David bristled and she squeezed his hand, as they stopped and turned to them.

"It is my name, though most just call me Snow," she replied.

"And maybe with a little less disrespect since she's probably the one that will catch your dinner tonight," David added sternly.

"You know our names, but we don't have the same advantage. It would be helpful to know what to call you or if you have any skills," Snow said diplomatically.

"Tamara and he's Greg," she offered.

"And you?" David asked the other two men.

"John and my little brother Michael," the man with glasses offered.

"I don't know what skills we can offer. We all had office jobs," Greg added. David shrugged.

"Doesn't matter...there's always work to be done now. Everyone who eats works and earns their keep," he said, as they started walking again. Greg and Tamara exchanged a glance. The four of them were all that remained of the home office and without ways to communicate with the other place, that left them without much purpose. Effectively, magic had been destroyed, so in a way, their mission was complete. Except Greg still wanted revenge on the woman who had separated him from his father, who he presumed was dead. That was the reason he had followed Neal here. Why Tamara had, he wasn't sure and she was still insistent about keeping up the ruse of her engagement to him, which puzzled Greg since they were secretly sleeping together. What John and Michael wanted here, he had no idea either. At this point, escaping the cities was the only way to survive and that alone was enough reason.

As Tamara surveyed the town, she realized this was the place. All the people here did not belong and yet none of them really belonged any more. This land was ruined and she was certain if these people that most thought were just stories could have, they would have abandoned this world for the one from which they came. She needed more information before she decided exactly what needed to be done and living among them could accomplish that. She would soon know if her mission was truly accomplished or if it was, in fact, just beginning...


	5. The Airing of Grievances

**AN: Neal and Emma talk and he reveals who he really is. Emma laments over lying to Henry about him and then lashes out at Neal, confessing how much he hurt her. Despite surfacing feelings that are still there, is there too much damage between them? Meanwhile, Snow and David lead the newcomers back to camp. But one snide remark too many from Regina finally takes a toll on Snow and an argument ensues between them. Is their relationship as ruined as the world?**

 **Sorry for slow updates on this one. My writing plate is a bit full, but I promise I have not abandoned this verse of any of my other smaller stories. Enjoy and let me know what you think!**

 **Thanks for all the great reviews! Keep them coming! Here are individual responses:**

 **daughterofathena2: Yes, I am moving toward Swanfire in this. They have a lot to work out and some significant complications, but Swanfire is endgame here. Glad you like it! :)**

 **Austenphile: Yep, the Darlings. I would say that remains to be seen exactly what John and Michael know. I can tell you for certain, that Neal is clueless when it comes to them and Tamara(even adorably so). Everyone does have an agenda and we see the tip of it with Greg and Tamara both in this chapter. Glad you like the Charming family dynamics in this. I really like it too, because it's so different. Snow and Regina have it out in this chapter and I think it's much needed for our favorite princess. :)**

 **sexystarwarslover: Yep, the twists keep coming! This is definitely a savage world now, so you're right, Regina better be careful. Yep, Neal is alive and there's some significant Swanfire scenes in this chapter as Emma discovers who he really is and how he knows about Storybrooke. Yep, Tamara still can't be trusted, even though for all intents and purposes, there really is no more Home Office. That's not going to stop her from being Tamara and Greg also might have something up his sleeve. Glad you're enjoying!**

 **Number Ten: Actually, not sure Pan will come into play here. He really has no way to get there and even if he did, there's no magic. He'd be powerless and revert back to being Malcolm. There are many other problems to tend to though as you'll find out. :)**

 **Grace5231973: Glad you like the concept! I think a post apocalyptic setting sparks all kinds of interesting things with these characters. Basically taking away magic does a bit of equalizing, though it's obvious Snow and Charming have a bit of a one up here on some. But that's the point. There isn't a lot of Rumbelle in this chapter, but they are definitely an important thing here, especially when Neal gets there. He and Emma have a significant talk in this chapter and I can tell you that Swanfire is endgame. There's just a lot of complications in the way, like Greg and Tamara, who might still be a threat even though, essentially, there is no Home Office now. Yep, Greg's is obviously vengeance minded. I think you'll like the argument that ensues between Snow and Regina in this chapter. Snow gets in a few very well deserved shots at Regina. :)**

 **Baratta Jennifer: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!**

Love in a Ruined World

Chapter 5: The Airing of Grievances

Emma stood there for a moment, mouth ajar, as she tried to comprehend what he had just said.

"You're what?" she exclaimed. He shrugged.

"Yeah...I'm Baelfire. I'm the reason for all this…" he mentioned.

"Well, all this as in the curse and stuff. The rest of it...yeah I don't think anyone saw that coming," he added.

"Oh my God…" she uttered.

"I know...it's a lot," he said.

"Did you know?" she asked and he looked at her.

"Of course not! If I had known who you were...I'd never have gotten near you," he replied. She looked at him incredulously.

"I didn't meant that the way it sounded. It's just that...I spent a long time surviving on my own, because of what he did. Because he chose that damn dagger over me and I wanted nothing to do with him," he explained.

"Then why head straight for Storybrooke now?" she questioned. He shrugged.

"Things have changed...drastically so. Not only is New York like something out of a horror movie, but I realized that family is important...even if you hate your family," he replied. She sighed.

"Yeah...guess so," she mentioned.

"You found yours...they seem great," he mentioned.

"Uh yeah...I guess. It's still weird though...I spent my whole life thinking they didn't want me. But nothing could be further from the truth. It still sucks though," she said.

"Yeah...they would have never given you up if my father hadn't orchestrated the curse," he replied.

"This is going to make him really happy, you know. He brought a potion with him that he made from hairs from parents. A true love potion so he could bring magic here...to find you," she told him. Neal snorted derisively.

"Of course he did," he said sarcastically.

"It goes smashed though when a couple of looters broke into his shop," she mentioned.

"Did...did they hurt him?" he inquired.

"They were going to...but my parents stopped them. They saved his life," she said.

"He didn't deserve that from them," he said coldly.

"Yeah, well...my parents are pretty forgiving. Probably too forgiving sometimes," she replied.

"Are you still angry at them...for giving you up?" he asked curiously.

"I want to be...but I can't be, not in this world. They are pretty much the reason any of us are surviving this," she replied.

"Good...don't be mad at them. They didn't want to give you up...and I think they were lied to," he said.

"Yeah...August told me what his father did," she replied, as she took a deep breath.

"Listen...there's more I need to tell you," she said, as they stopped once they were by the library.

"What is it?" he asked.

"There's no easy way to say this...but I have a son," she replied. His eyes widened.

"I was pregnant when you sent me to prison," she added and his heart dropped into his stomach.

"A son...we have a son?" he uttered in disbelief.

"It's way more complicated than that…" she replied, as she took a deep breath.

"I couldn't keep him...I gave him up," she confessed.

"Like your parents gave you up," he realized.

"I was in prison and in no shape to raise a kid when I got out. The thing is...he was adopted by Regina," she told him.

"The Evil Queen adopted our son?" he asked incredulously. She winced.

"Yeah...maybe not so Evil Queen anymore. She's mellowed a lot...our son has a lot to do with that and this whole thing. It's kind of hard to be the Evil Queen when the people you cast the curse to punish are the ones you're relying on to stay alive," she answered.

"Does...does my father know that?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Honestly...I don't know. He doesn't really act like Henry might be his grandson. I mean, he seems fond of him, but he doesn't act like my Dad does with him," she replied. He snorted.

"And he won't, Emma. Power always will be more important to him than any family," Neal stated bitterly.

"Maybe he's changed? I mean...there is literally no possibility of magic any more or going back _there_ ," she said. Neal shook his head.

"You don't know him like I do…" he refuted, but then sighed.

"But I don't want to be him...I want to know my son," he confessed. Emma nodded.

"I told him you were dead," she blurted out and tears filled her eyes.

"I lied and he's going to hate me now," she feared.

"Why did you tell him I was dead?" he exclaimed.

"Because you hurt me!" she cried, finally letting her anger out.

"I loved you...and you threw me away! So I lied and told him what every kid wants to hear! That you were a hero! That you died saving people's lives! Not that you and I were both common thieves and conceived him in the backseat of the bug!" she shouted, causing him to shrink back.

"I loved you too...I only let you go, because August convinced me that was for the best! So you could break the curse and find your family!" he cried back.

"We were a family!" she hissed.

"We could have done it together!" she added.

"I know...I screwed up! Believe me...I never stopped thinking about you," he confessed.

"Yeah...well, it's a little late for that," she replied, as she stormed off toward Town Hall and he followed in hot pursuit.

* * *

Snow quietly observed the newcomers, as her husband got them settled and gave them assignments.

"I really hope you two know what you're doing by letting these people in," Regina commented, as she sat down by her.

"I'm not sure we can really turn anyone away at this point, but we'll be keeping an eye on them," Snow assured, as she gathered her arrows and reloaded her quiver.

"This is a ruthless world...more so now than ever, Snow. You may have to come to terms with the fact that there will be times when you need to be ruthless as well," Regina warned.

"No…" Snow refuted and her step-mother looked at her.

"Excuse me?" Regina questioned with an edge in her voice.

"You heard me..." Snow snapped back and Regina snorted derisively.

"Still think you can win people over with rainbow stickers and unicorn kisses?" she questioned.

"It's better than what you do," Snow shot back and Regina pursed her lips.

"I suppose I deserve that," she acknowledged.

"You suppose right," the former princess agreed.

"What is with you today?" Regina questioned. Snow looked her in the eyes and tried to quell her anger. Usually she was able to set it aside, but everything just seemed to be boiling to the surface today. With Neal returning, it just brought up horrible memories for her daughter. It made her and David face all that her daughter had endured without them, because of the curse. It made her look at the woman that had caused her so much pain and it made her realize that forgiveness wasn't so easy today. She was trying and had done better than anyone had ever expected to her. It made her wonder what Regina would do if she wasn't so reliant on them. What would she have done if Gold had succeeded in bringing magic to Storybrooke? It made her question everything.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Snow answered instead.

"Yes, you do...stop acting like a spoiled brat!" Regina snapped, but that was the wrong thing to say.

"How dare you?! I'm _not_ the spoiled brat here!" she exclaimed, quickly drawing attention, as her shoulders shook with anger.

"I'm not the one that cursed an entire Kingdom, because she lost! I'm not the one that kept hunting said someone so they could rip their heart out and crush it to dust! I'm not the one that ripped said someone away from her husband and her daughter!" Snow cried, finally letting it all out.

"I'm so tired of you ruining my life!" Snow sobbed.

"I ruined _your_ life?!" Regina screeched.

"Yes! And my daughter's life! And my husband's! Or at least, twenty-eight years of it! And for what? Revenge? My heart? Is that what you really want?" Snow shouted

"For your information, you ruined my life first, because you couldn't keep your mouth shut!" Regina growled. Snow took a sobering breath and swiped a tear away.

"I was ten...and I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I didn't know better...I didn't know what your mother was like then," she said, as she pulled a dagger from her belt and handed it to her step-mother, ignoring the gasp from Belle, who was nearby with Rumple. He put a steady hand on her arm, imploring her not to interfere with a stern look. David was already approaching to do just that if needed.

"If that's what you really want...then take it. This way will be a little messier than your usual way, but this dagger will get the job done," she cried, as the former Queen looked at her in disbelief, unable to enjoy this pain her step-daughter was obviously in and had been hiding so well. Regina didn't know what to do, as she stood there in shock and in response, dropped the dagger, letting it clatter to the floor. Realizing they had a captive audience, Snow swiped her tears away and ran out of the building. David shot a cold look in Regina's direction, as he hurried after her.

* * *

"What do you suppose that's all about?" Tamara asked, as they made camp with the cots and blankets they had been given.

"I don't know...an argument between Snow White and the Evil Queen?" he joked.

"Come on Greg, you don't really buy all that? I mean...Snow White?" Michael questioned. Greg and Tamara exchanged a glance and he shrugged.

"Stranger things have happened, I suppose. I mean, who would have thought the world would really end?" he asked. Neither John or Michael looked convinced though.

"You're worried that we won't find your father now," she whispered. He sighed and stood up.

"I don't know...but I think it's time we find out," Greg responded, as he walked toward Regina, just as Neal and Emma walked in. Tamara's gaze narrowed on the blonde and she watched her hug a boy.

All the Home Office's plans were moot at this point. She wasn't even sure if anyone else had survived, but Neal couldn't find out that she had only been using him. She was a resourceful woman and had already made new alliances in this new and frightening world. Word of a strong resistance in this area had gotten back to the new regime and she was tasked to quietly observe this community. They had not encountered anything quite like it. Most small settlements were in complete disarray and leaders had to be savage to keep their power. But she had observed something quite different here.

These people seemed to be faring much better and seemed to gladly follow the leadership of this Snow White and her princely husband and without fear of them either. The benevolence really no longer had a place in this desperate, ruined world, but she wasn't so foolish as to believe they would be easily taken down. Far from it, in fact. There was more to these people than was being seen on the surface and even if she did believe what Greg said about them, it was still more than that. Even if they were supposedly a bunch of fairy tale characters, it still didn't explain everything.

The kindness, generosity, and the love she was seeing here was now a foreign thing in this world. It had no place and the new rising regime in New York would quash it all. So she had a decision to make. Did she report all of this to her new allies, who were shaky at best. Or did she enjoy what seemed like a peaceful settlement in a warring world? Even without her feeding information to the regime, she knew it would not be long until the warring made its way here and the invasion happened. But there was definitely something different about this settlement and she had a feeling that the regime would meet a resistance like none other here. She just had to determine which side she believed would win and then hope she chose the right one...


	6. Reflection

AN: Thanks for the great response! If you have a prompt for this verse, please leave a review or PM me!

Everything is canon up until the end of 1x22 and then it's completely AU after that point. Again, please consider leaving a review. They really are greatly appreciated. Here are individual responses to reviews:

 **Jennifer Baratta: Glad you enjoyed it! :)**

 **Grace5231973: Neal has a bit of reflection on that in this chapter, before they finally come face to face in the next. Glad you liked Emma and Neal's talk. As for Tamara, time will tell with her. :)**

 **Number Ten: Yeah, it was pretty bold of Snow, but she finally got pushed to the edge. Yeah, I think Tamara does thrive in chaotic conditions. I think Snow and David are going to try and soften the blow of this to Henry. Hopefully it will help him understand why Emma lied.**

 **sexystarwarslover: Yes, Tamara's allies in New York are likely very dangerous and Greg still wants to find his father, which means he'll probably be out for revenge still. Yep, finding out that Neal is Baelfire was a huge shock, so she knew she had to be up front about Henry. Yeah, I felt that the confrontation between Regina and Snow needed to happen. Hopefully, Regina can realize how unfair she has been. Snow didn't deserve the things she did. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)**

Love in a Ruined World

Chapter 6: Reflection

David found her in the woods, near the Toll Bridge, assaulting a poor tree with arrows, as it became the target of her frustration. He watched her for a few moments, simply marveling at her, as he often did. Watching her was one of his favorite past times, after all. And he loved watching her practice with a bow. Her fluid grace and prowess as a warrior was awe-inspiring to him. Her fury was as beautiful as she was. He was glad she was finally allowing herself to let out her frustration and anger at the woman essentially responsible for keeping them apart for twenty-eight years.

Snow was always so quick to blame herself for everything, but even she had a breaking point and Regina's attitude had finally pushed her too far.

As usual, he waited in the wings with quiet patience, until she was ready to talk and be comforted.

She finally ran out of arrows and instead of going to retrieve them, she leaned against a tree and sighed deeply. She turned her head and met his eyes, as he waited patiently against his own tree.

"How long have you been there?" she asked.

"A while," he replied, as he opened his arms to her and she rushed into his embrace, finally accepting that she not only needed comforting, but deserved it.

"I didn't mean to lose my temper like that. I don't like doing that," she mentioned.

"I know...but she deserved it, you know. You are far more tolerant of her than she deserves," he replied. She sniffed.

"Most of the time, I don't let it get to me. But then Emma's ex just walked back into her life and it just hit me again. She went through so much, David...and she went through it alone!" Snow cried, as he cradled her in his arms.

"And all because of a secret I told. Our daughter grew up alone...because of me," Snow fretted.

"No...she grew up alone, because Regina cast a curse and we had no choice," he corrected.

"I'm not sure Emma feels that way," Snow muttered.

"I won't let you keep blaming yourself for this. You did not kill Daniel," he reminded.

"But he was killed because of me," she reminded back. But he shook his head.

"You don't really know that for sure. What if Cora already suspected? I mean...you told me that Daniel was their stable boy and taught Regina how to ride. They spent years together...I doubt there was no way that Cora didn't already suspect. She just used you to confirm it," he surmised. Snow thought about that for a moment and knew it was entirely possible.

"Why can't Regina see that?" Snow asked. He kissed her forehead.

"She doesn't want to, Snow. It's easier for her to hate you than to hate her own mother. But I'm tired of the way she treats you. It's time that she owns her part in all of this. Because of this curse, we're in a world that has seen the apocalypse and we may never get home. She's destroyed lives, but if she can finally let this go, then I know we can too. Because despite all this, we're still a family and we can be happy. At least, I know you and I can. Despite all this, I'm happy because I finally have the love of my life back," he said, as she looked up at him with tears shining in her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

"And we have our daughter and our grandson. We may have lost a lot of time, but it doesn't mean we don't have a future...as broken as this world is," he reminded. She nodded and wiped her tears away.

"We still need to tell Henry...I don't want him to be mad at Emma. She shouldn't have lied, but she's already been through so much," Snow lamented and then realized something else.

"And we need to tell Gold...he has no idea his son is actually alive," she added. He sighed.

"We can tell Henry together, but maybe I should pull Gold aside and tell him myself, father to father. We seem to connect in that way," he suggested. She nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder, as they spent a few moments there together. They came down to the Toll Bridge a lot. It was their special place and they had even discovered a cave beneath it where they stored some blankets and pillows. They had actually spent nights there together when they needed to get away for a bit. It was a place that just made them feel whole and connected even more than usual.

"We should go...but maybe we can come back out here later?" she asked. He smiled and caressed her beautiful face.

"That sounds like exactly what we need," he agreed, as they trekked back to town with their arms around each other. Snow still had a lot of feelings and anger she needed to sort out when it came to Regina, but for now, they needed to focus on their daughter and grandson's needs. And that was helping them deal with the reappearance of Emma's ex, Henry's biological father, and the ties to Rumpelstiltskin that he brought with him.

* * *

Neal looked around at the cluster of people that were essentially living at what was town hall in this town at one time. On the way to the town hall, he had taken the opportunity to observe the town that had apparently been hidden from the world for twenty-eight years and the place where his father had been living. If he was being honest with himself, he was a tiny bit impressed that his father had wanted a curse to come to a land without any magic and agreed to live without it. Then again, he had to wipe his own memory to live without magic for all those years, but still. It took his father out of every comfort zone that he had. It didn't lessen his anger though that he essentially had to ruin Emma's life to get to this land though and all supposedly for him. He didn't like that at all. Emma and her parents hadn't deserved to pay the price for his father's mistakes with him and he was going to make sure his father knew exactly how he felt.

Still, he wasn't entirely unhappy to be there. Just months ago, he would have laughed at the notion that he would have willingly sought his father out. But the apocalypse had changed everything and made him realize that he truly had nothing without family; even a family such as his. So when Emma told him that he had a son, he felt a myriad of emotions. Sadness that he didn't know about him and wasn't there. Repeating his father's mistakes was not something that settled well with him at all, even if he did it unknowingly. He also felt anger at August and hoped he survived the culling that had befallen this world, just so he could punch him in the face. There was no way that August hadn't known that Emma was pregnant and conveniently chose not to tell him. He was also excited and nervous at the same time to meet his son. He was a father and that was some heavy stuff. He had more family than he realized and it had all been in this quaint little town that had never seen an outsider until the world had ended.

So here he was, reunited with Emma and moment away from seeing a father that he had not seen in over three hundred years. He doubted Emma was ever going to forgive him. He just hoped his son did. As for his father...he honestly didn't know how that was going to go and decided that he wouldn't know until he saw him. He braced himself, as he followed Emma further into the building.

* * *

When they had returned to the town hall, Snow and Regina had exchanged cool glances, but said little about their earlier blowout. Snow informed her, much to her shock, that one of the outsiders that had come to town was in fact Henry's biological father. And that Emma's ex was actually Baelfire, Rumpelstiltskin's lost son; a fact that none of them knew, not even Emma, until now. And David had a feeling that not even Rumple knew about his connection to Henry. But the three adults managed to put their feelings aside and merged together to tell Henry.

Under normal circumstances, Regina might have tried to capitalize on Emma's blunder and use it against her when it came to Henry. But the last few months had changed her, despite her early reverting to her old ways and lashing out at Snow. Her step-daughter was always an easy target for her pain and Regina knew how wrong that was. Especially since she had learned that hurting Snow also hurt Henry and she hated that. She could even see the disappointment in his eyes when he looked at her and she knew she deserved it for lashing out at Snow. Still...her pain was not easily forgotten and in many ways had been compounded by the sheer and utter loss of this world. This was supposed to have been her happy ending. The curse breaking had been bad enough, but living in a lost, barren world was not her idea of happiness either. This existence was not what she had wanted for Henry, but all those comforts were gone. Magic was never coming back and with that, she realized that all they had was family. And even she had to give Snow credit for even considering her family after all she had done. Maybe she and David were only doing it for Henry, but it was still to their credit, as much as she hated their goodness at times.

Right now, breaking this news to Henry as gently as possible was key and that meant helping him to understand why Emma hadn't been entirely honest. She had a part in that too, after all, as much she didn't want to admit it. She was part of the reason why Emma was alone in the first place and while her first instinct was to blame Snow for being the reason she had done what she had done, she suppressed that instinct. For Henry. Always for Henry.

For this, she hovered nervously, as David took on the task of explaining it to Henry and she had to admit she was impressed by the ease of his relationship with Henry. It had never really occurred to her how much Henry would benefit from having a positive male influence in his life. David was really good with him and had a way of getting him to understand things that were hard to hear. Regina wasn't sure she or Snow really had the finesse for it like he did. She glanced at Snow briefly and knew the possibility of her step-daughter getting pregnant again was very high with there being no birth control available anymore. She rolled her eyes a bit at that. It was lost on no one how often those two disappeared into the woods together. People actively avoided the Toll Bridge area for that very reason. But as much as she hated admitting it, as she watched Snow's husband with her son, he was going to make a fantastic father.

He already had with Emma, despite her being grown. He had an ease to his relationship with her that seemed to be able to quell Emma's restless spirit quite easily. She knew the blonde had walls that effectively hid her insecurities and damage. But somehow, to her amazement, Charming hadn't had too much trouble getting past those walls. She supposed that Emma felt safe, even if she hadn't known him for long. But then Charming had been protecting her since the moment she first drew breath. The prince seemed to have the same ability with her son and for Henry's sake, she was grateful for this relationship. After all, the only real issues she had ever had with David were simply the fact that he loved Snow. She could have never foreseen that her greatest enemies would be related to her son by blood. Fate certainly had a sense of humor.

"She lied to me?" Henry asked his grandfather. David sighed and put his hands on Henry's shoulders.

"She did...but not to hurt you, Henry, I promise," David told him.

"That was during a time when Emma was alone and scared. He abandoned her and she was in jail. Your grandmother and I couldn't be there for her," he explained.

"And when you asked about him...I don't think Emma was ready to talk about that time in her life. It was too painful," he added.

"He's right Henry," Emma interjected, as she appeared.

"And you have every right to be mad at me. I shouldn't have lied...I was just scared," she told him.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because we were thieves and I'm not proud of the things I did during that time. I didn't think I'd ever see him again and I wanted you to have a hero to look up to," she replied, as she looked at her parents.

"If I had believed you about the book like I should have, then I would have known you already had heroes you looked up to," she said, making her parents smile softly and with a bit of surprise.

"Is that why you're telling me now? Is he here?" Henry asked. She nodded and Neal stepped toward him.

"You better talk to Gold now," Snow whispered to him. David nodded and kissed her tenderly, before making his way over to Gold. Henry's life was not the only one that was going to change on that day...


	7. A Meeting and a Reunion

**AN: Thanks for the great response! If you have a prompt for this verse, please leave a review or PM me!**

 **Everything is canon up until the end of 1x22 and then it's completely AU after that point. Again, please consider leaving a review. They really are greatly appreciated. Here are individual responses to reviews:**

 **Naomi Blue: Yes, David really is the best. And yes, Regina is slowly coming around to more positive thinking. :)**

 **Number Ten: Yes, things are handled a bit more rationally in this chapter, despite emotions still running high. Yes, Neal calls Rumple out for his deeds in a big way during this chapter. I like how the confrontation turned out so I think you will too.**

 **Guest: The image of Regina clutching Henry's pillow is at the end of 1x22.**

 **Grace5231973: Regina does slightly better with her anger and emotions in this chapter. She's slowly making progress. Neal does call his father out on some things in this chapter, but he also leaves the door open. He's angry, but makes it clear that he's not shutting him out completely. :)**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Yeah, Henry is not flipping out on her here, because things are quite a bit different. And he was eased into the truth by David, rather than it just being sprung on him. Yep, the scene where David is watching her is meant to call back to 3x2. I enjoy the Gold and Charming friendship too. They have a really great scene in this chapter. Yep, Neal has a big confrontation with his father in this chapter. I love Henry and David scenes too. Ha yep, people actively avoiding the toll bridge is hilarious. :)**

 **Austenphile: Glad you enjoyed it. I'll miss getting your feedback. Yep, Snow always blames herself. I do love how David just waits patiently for her to be ready. He's very good at it. Yeah, not a fan of how Snow is treated either. Gold and Charming have a GREAT scene in this chapter. You'll like it. I love Grandpa Charming too. Yeah, I think Emma did blame Snow, which was unfair. I am glad we got the Daddy Charming that we did though. :)**

 **MondlerGellarBing: Yeah, there was really no need for Snowing to rehash what happened during the curse. It wasn't truly them and they were able to quickly put it behind them. Snowing are my favorites, but they really would fair better than most in a situation like this. Snow and David would never not help. People are looking to them to survive and I don't see them telling people that they're on their own. It is a bit** **hypocritical** **of Emma to be mad at them for giving her up. That's why it's always bothered me that she was. But that likely won't stick in this verse. Glad you're enjoying, even though apocalyptic stories aren't your thing. ;)**

Love in a Ruined World

Chapter 7: A Meeting and a Reunion

David approached Gold and Belle's little corner in the Town Hall, where they dwelled, with a purposeful stride.

"Gold...we need to talk," David stated.

"It sounds serious...should I leave?" Belle asked.

"No...in fact I think he's going to need your support for what I'm about to tell him," David responded, as he led them behind a partition they had put up to allow for private conversations. David sighed.

"We had a few outsiders cross the town line again today. Fortunately, they weren't violent and we have let them join our ranks...for now," he explained.

"Do you really think that's wise?" Gold hissed.

"Let me explain," David insisted.

"The last outsiders that came through here nearly killed us and they're the reason there's no magic!" Rumple growled.

"Rumple...please," Belle pleaded.

"I know...if you recall, Snow and I dispatched those outsiders and we're the reason that potion ever existed in the first place from what you've told us," David snapped back, as the older man relaxed slightly.

"The reason we let them in was because there was someone with them that vouched for them and insisted that they weren't violent," the Prince explained.

"And who is this person that you suddenly trust? Because while I know your wife is quite trusting...you're not. You grew up like me. Poor as dirt with a father that betrayed you at a very early age. I know you don't trust so easily," Gold said, as their eyes met. It was true that they connected on that level and David had never expected Rumpelstiltskin had humbled beginnings like him.

"You're right...and there are things about this man that I'm still very angry about, but there is one thing about him that overrules that," David replied.

"And what is that?" Rumple questioned.

"Because he's your son," David stated, shocking both Belle and Rumple.

"Bae...Bae is here?" he questioned.

"That's what he says and we know it's true, because there's more. There's something else that none of us expected," David continued.

"What is it?" Belle asked.

"In this land, he goes by the name of Neal Cassidy," David responded.

"And that's supposed to mean something to us?" Rumple questioned.

"No...but it means something to Emma," David countered.

"Neal Cassidy is Henry's biological father and he is meeting his own son as we speak," he continued. Rumple was stunned. For all his foresight and planning for the future he had done from his visions, he had never seen this twist. His son, his precious Bae had somehow encountered the Savior in her youth. The son of the Dark One had conceived a child with the daughter of the truest love he had ever encountered; a virtual symbol of pure light. There was no way that this was coincidence; fate did not allow for such. Light and Dark joined in such a way...it was unprecedented and he was probably the only one that could fully appreciate the gravity of such.

"Rumple…" Belle cooed, snapping him back to reality.

"I need to see him…" he said. David nodded.

"I'll warn you...from what I gather, he's still angry with you. He told me outright that if the world hadn't ended that he would have tried to make sure you never found him," he warned.

"But since circumstances are a bit different, he recognizes that family is important and came to find you," David added.

"Thank you David," Belle said for him, as he was still too lost in his own musings to properly respond.

"You're welcome...guess this is one more thing we have in common. Emma would have every right to be angry with me and Snow. But she's gotten over it and so will your son," he offered.

"Except that your choice to give her up was forced. Mine was not...it's different," Rumple refuted.

"Perhaps...but like I said, things are different now. It's times like these that family becomes incredibly important and we all have to support each other. Family is all we have and I think your son realizes that," David stated.

"We?" Rumple asked. Charming smirked.

"Like it or not, Gold...but you now share a grandson with me and Snow," he replied, as he led them to the moment of truth and for some surprising reason, Rumple didn't find sharing something with the likes of Snow and Charming all that offensive as he thought he might.

* * *

"Is that why you're telling me now? Is he here?" Henry asked. She nodded and Neal stepped toward him.

"Yeah...I'm here," Neal said, as Henry looked up at him.

"You're my Dad?" Henry asked.

"Yeah...guess I am. If it helps...I didn't know," Neal replied. Henry shrugged.

"I get it...but how did you find out about me now and where I was?" he asked inquisitively.

"Well...I actually came here for a very different reason. I'm like everyone else here...I'm from _there,_ " he revealed. Henry perked up at that and his eyes widened.

"You are?" he asked, with avid interest.

"Yep...and so I came here looking for my father, even though I swore I never wanted to see him again," he said, just as David approached with Rumple and Belle. His eyes met his father's and Rumple looked as though he may fall apart right there. His usual composure was failing him and normally, he wouldn't let that show openly. But he couldn't help it.

"Bae…" he said tearfully.

"Papa…" Neal said stiffly. Henry looked at him in surprise.

"You're Baelfire?" he asked in amazement.

"Yeah...but I like going by Neal now," he answered.

"Did you know, Mom?" Henry asked.

"Not a clue, kid. Back then...I wouldn't have believed him even if he did tell me," Emma replied.

"It's not her fault Henry. August tracked me down and told me who she was. He convinced me to leave her and I was stupid enough to listen to him," Neal said, as he glanced at Emma.

"Where is that puppet anyway? I owe him a punch in his big lying nose," Neal mentioned. Emma shrugged.

"Get in line...but no one has seen him. I'm not sure if he survived," she replied quietly.

"Bae…" Rumple said, as he hobbled forth.

"I'm still pissed at you," Neal warned.

"Bae...the moment you were gone, I regretted ever letting you go. I spent...my entire life since then trying to find you," Rumple replied.

"Well you shouldn't have!" Neal snapped.

"I made a huge mistake…" Rumple pleaded.

"Yeah...you did and everyone else paid for it!" Neal roared.

"Did you even for a second care about the families you were ripping apart to come after me?" he questioned.

"All I could think about was finding you…" Rumple admitted. Neal snorted.

"Yeah and in the process, a lot of people got hurt. Emma and her parents didn't deserve to be ripped apart just so you could find me," he scolded.

"We didn't...but it got us Henry," Emma reminded and he sighed.

"Yeah...I guess it did," Neal said, as he knelt down in front of him.

"I hear you're the reason the curse was broken at all," he said fondly. Henry shrugged.

"Mom Emma broke the curse," he said.

"Yeah, but you found me and brought me to town, kid. None of it could have happened without you," Emma reminded.

"Oh yeah," Henry agreed, making them all chuckle. Neal stood up and noticed Regina standing there, looking half fondly at Henry and half threatened by them. He supposed that wasn't surprising. The son she had adopted and that used to be totally reliant on her was now surrounded by both his paternal and maternal biological family.

"I'm not sure whether to thank you for taking care of our son or to berate you for helping my father cause all this in the first place," Neal said boldly.

"Try thanking me. You may be his biological parents, but _I_ am his mother. I have a say on who is in his life," Regina warned.

"Mom…" Henry chided.

"Yeah...August told me the story. The people you hate are the reason he exists at all," Neal retorted. David nodded.

"He's got a point...you're welcome," he quipped, earning him a sharp glare from the former Queen.

"I'm aware…" she admitted.

"He loves them...and he loves you. Emma and I are pretty screwed up, because of my father's and your actions. I think we should try to avoid that with him, yeah?" Neal asked. Emma nodded.

"Agreed," Regina replied.

"Henry's grandparents no longer have anything to fear from me," she added and Henry hugged her for that.

"Thanks Mom...that's all I want. For us all to be a family," Henry said.

"I want that too Henry," she admitted.

"You think that's sincere?" Neal questioned. Emma shrugged.

"Deep down...I think so. It helps that there's no magic, you know?" she asked.

"Oh yeah...trust me, it's a blessing in disguise. Magic just royally fu…" he started to say and she gave him a look.

"You have to watch your swears around the kid," she warned. He chuckled.

"Right...magic screws things up, let's just leave at that," he said. She nodded.

"Neither of them, Regina or your Dad, are particularly comfortable without it. They've had to rely on my parents to survive more than they like. I have to, honestly. I had no idea how to hunt, forage, farm...none of it. But they're really good at it. We haven't lost anyone yet, because of them, save for the ones that died when that plane crashed into town," she explained.

"Yeah...trust me, Storybrooke is way better off than I've seen," he said.

"Then the cities are as bad as we've heard?" Emma asked.

"Probably worse. New York is the home base for this new faction that's taken over all the major cities. Whoever is leading it has pretty much recruited most of the former military and anyone that wants to fight or remain on top of the food chain, so to speak," Neal replied, catching David's attention.

"Do you think they'll come here?" he asked. Neal shrugged.

"It's possible...they've pretty much scavenged most of the country for guns and ammunition so they have a pretty good supply. We'll be in trouble if they do come here," he admitted.

"With winter coming, I'd say they'll try to move on any settlements then. It's the most vulnerable time," he surmised.

"We might have a solution for that and it might make the difference this winter. Then next spring, we can move north and settle. There's still a lot of untouched farmland up state," he mentioned.

"Plus we have the benefit of the harbor and being able to fish," Snow added. He nodded.

"I assume you and your friends at least have some useful skills?" David questioned. Neal chuckled.

"I'm afraid most of them worked in cubicles before now, but they can learn. Me...just tell me what you need help with. I've had to forage and hunt for food before. Henry and I could go see what we can catch for dinner," he suggested, as he looked at Emma and Regina for approval.

"Can I Moms?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure...its fine with me," Emma replied, with a shrug.

"Me too," Regina agreed a bit uncertainly.

"Bae...can we please talk later?" Rumple requested. Neal sighed.

"I've said what I need to say. Not sure what else there is," he refuted.

"But I have much to atone for...please," Gold pleaded.

"Yeah...you do. But I have a feeling that if there was magic here that you'd be too busy scheming and screwing people over with your deals to atone for anything. You haven't changed...you just don't have any choice but to behave, because you're now depending on others for survival. Things would be very different if there was magic here and so far, I haven't seen any reason to believe otherwise," Neal said coldly.

"Please Bae...I have changed. I can show you," Rumple pleaded. He scoffed.

"Like I said, you haven't really changed. Your circumstances are making you be on your best behavior, because Emma's parents are the reason you're alive and have food in your stomach. And to be honest...I hope magic never comes back," he added, as he and Henry left together. Emma winced and turned to her parents.

"How are you holding up, sweetie?" Snow asked.

"Okay I guess...I expected that to be a lot worse. I thought Henry was going to hate me," she admitted. Snow squeezed her hand.

"He knows you love him and that you didn't really want to give him up. And I think he understands why you told him his father was dead. None of this has been easy for anyone," Snow reasoned.

"Only because Dad explained it to him and got through. Thank you," she told her father. David smiled.

"I love that kid, as much as I love you," he assured, as he hugged her and cradled her head.

"We never wanted to give you up, Emma," he reminded. She sniffed.

"I know...and I'm not angry with you guys anymore. I love you both," she confessed. Snow sniffed.

"Oh Emma…" Snow gushed, as they hugged her between them. David chuckled and gently wiped a few of the tears away on both their faces with his thumb, even though he had his own staining his cheeks.

"Come on...let's go get a fire started for whatever they bring back," David suggested.

"Okay...but they might come back empty, because I'm not sure Henry can stay quiet enough to catch any fish," Emma joked, as they started walking toward the woods to build a fire, when she turned back briefly.

"Are you guys coming?" she asked.

"I'm not sure we're welcome," Gold replied. She sighed.

"Look, I know you both would probably be ruling this town with magic and have us at your mercy and everything if you could...but that's not the case. Add to that, like it or not, we're all family now. And Henry wants us to be a family, so we all owe it to him to be that for him," Emma said sternly. Belle smiled and urged him along.

"I couldn't agree more," she agreed, as they followed.

"That means you too, Queenie," Emma called and her parents chuckled.

"Excuse me?" Regina asked in an accusatory tone.

"You heard me. Come on and keep up...you need to stop wearing those dumb heels you have on too," Emma called back.

"I'm a Queen...I'm a bit more refined than you and your woods-dwelling parents," she quipped.

"Aren't you technically Queen too, Mom?" Emma retorted.

"Um...well, I suppose, but there was never an official coronation, so technically, I'm still a Princess," Snow responded.

"You were born into the crown...a coronation is just a formality," Rumple interjected.

"I'm still Queen...I married into it," Regina protested.

"Which technically makes you Queen Mother," Rumple argued.

"And that would make my Dad the King, right?" Emma questioned.

"Absolutely not...he's not royal by birth. He married into it and is only Prince Consort," Regina protested.

"Except that Snow has the power as Queen to bestow the title of King on him if she so chooses to do so," Rumple interjected.

"And I choose to...because he is King of my heart," Snow agreed, as she kissed him tenderly.

"Ugh...that's probably the most sickening thing you've ever said," Regina grumbled.

"And with them...that's saying something, believe me," Emma said, as her parents continued to kiss, hearing none of their complaints.

"Hello? Are you two going to come up for air and start this stupid fire? I for one would like to eat," Regina replied. Snow and David's lips finally parted. They started gathering firewood and mused at their circumstances. None of them could have ever imagined things would have turned out this way and lead them to all being a family. But it had worked out that way and no one really seemed too upset about that...


	8. A Twist of Fate

**AN: Thanks for the great response! If you have a prompt for this verse, please leave a review or PM me!**

 **Everything is canon up until the end of 1x22 and then it's completely AU after that point. Again, please consider leaving a review. They really are greatly appreciated. Here are individual responses to reviews:**

 **AnonSnowing: Yeah, Snowing really doesn't sweat that small relationship stuff. If David wasn't in the coma, I'm sure Regina would have probably made sure he was married to Kathryn. They might have found each other sooner, but nothing changed for twenty-eight years. The same day basically repeated itself so I'm not sure how much progression there would have been. The only time things really changed and there was something different was when Snow found the poppy and Charming woke up briefly. Things changed marginally when Henry arrived, but it was still mostly the same set of days, with possible minor variations here and there. Henry was the only one that changed. Yeah it was awkward I'm sure, but they were all victims. I'm glad you like the characterizations and think they are on point. I try to make sure everyone remains in character unless there is a reason for them to be out of character. Yep, the world may be in disarray, but they found each other and can be a family. Yeah, I do enjoy showing the mind of an outsider, cause I think it is interesting. Yeah, I think Emma secretly finds comfort in her parent's love, even if she complains about the PDA. Yep, Neal is here and Emma is in for a surprise. Yep, Gold still loves his son. Actually, Rumple kind of did mention it was broken because of Henry. He tells him in 2x15 Manhatten that if he hadn't gone to find Emma and brought her to Storybrooke, then the curse wouldn't have been broken and they wouldn't have been in New York to find Baelfire. Yeah, I like that they have to rely on Snowing here and have to be less nasty than they were in canon. She and Snow do have a lot of history though.**

 **Grace5231973: Glad you liked the scene between Rumple and Charming! It was hard to write too, but we skip forward a tad in time in this chapter and they have become a family. I've decided this story probably only has a couple more chapters and the ending will tell that we're getting close to a conclusion. I really like this verse, but there's not a lot of places to go with it. I think I have a very satisfying ending in min though. :)**

 **BooksinmyDreams: Glad you enjoyed it! :)**

 **Number Ten: Ha, I love the bickering too. Like a real family. Yeah, Rumple is probably on his best behavior because there is no magic.**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Glad you enjoyed it! This one is pretty intense too. Yep, Rumple isn't surprised often, but he was when he found out about Henry. Not even he saw that coming. Yeah, despite their differences, they are still a family. Yeah, I don't think he hates everyone as much as he lets on. Yes, Snowing is my King and Queen too!**

Love in a Ruined World

Chapter 8: Twist of Fate

New York City. The once sprawling skyscrapers that used to be a pristine cityscape of one of the largest cities in the world were crumbling in disarray, at least the ones that were still standing after the initial devastation of the blackout and the falling aircraft. The first winter had only accelerated the decay. Winter had hit New England in mid October that year and it had devastating results. The death toll on survivors just in the New York area was staggering and estimated at over half, though their record keeping was now very rudimentary.

The faction that had taken the stronghold of leadership in the area hoarded not just the weapons, but most of the food as well. And their rationing of resources had caused some death by starvation. And the ones that didn't starve to death were dying from influenza, bronchitis, and pneumonia; all ailments that were previously preventable and curable. But modern medicine was gone and the stores of pharmaceuticals was dwindling. And what remained was carefully kept for the elite members of the radical new faction that controlled what remained of their country.

"Report…" the faction's mysterious leader ordered. Not much was known about his life before the devastation happened. He was simply known as Cain. No one knew if that was his real name or if he had taken it symbolically, for Biblically, the man known as Cain was often thought to be the originator of mankind's evil after the murder of his brother Abel. Either way, he was a ruthless man that had risen in this new world with the clear intention of ruling and ruling tyrannically.

"There are whispers of an independent faction...somewhere in the wooded area of Maine," his subordinate, Gentry, reported.

"If the rumors are true, somehow they still have food, adequate shelter, and the winter nor disease has claimed any lives yet," she reported.

"How is that possible?" he questioned.

"We don't know," she offered regrettably, as he thought for a moment.

"Do you want me to send a detachment to Maine?" she questioned.

"No…I'm going myself. You're in charge," he ordered, as he left to gather his strongest soldiers for the journey to Maine that would take several months to accomplish.

* * *

 _Several Months later_

It had been nearly a year since that fateful day. That fateful day of February twenty-eighth when the curse was broken and the event, now widely known as the Devastation occurred, nearly simultaneously. As the residents of Storybrooke braved his new reality together, the seasons changed around them.

Crops were planted and flourished, thanks to the abundance of seeds and planting equipment available. None of it had been needed during the curse, so quite a store had been built up. Summer was fairly good to them and they had a successful and abundant harvest. They had all worked tirelessly at the farming duties, which David had led them through. They had sheared sheep for the wool to make winter clothing, canned all the vegetables they could for storage and preservation, and bottled all the freshwater they could find. All their stores were taken to the cavern beneath the library via the hand operated elevator, that despite the absence of electricity, still operated, albeit requiring quite a bit more muscle to do so. And it was a good thing since the winter hit them with a vengeance. So far though, thanks to the good store of medicine they still had, as well as food and water, they had not lost anyone yet.

Though their situation was far from ideal, they still found ways to find happiness. Snow and David were in love as ever. Emma had grown very close to her parents and Henry to his grandparents. Regina and Snow had managed to mend their relationship as well, while Belle and Rumple had finally been able to forge a relationship without the laments of magic and the Dark One hanging over them. In addition, Emma and Neal were growing close again. There were still things they needed to work out, but Henry had drawn them back together and they were starting to rediscover their feelings, so much so that Neal and Tamara had broken up. It was awkward, but then no one missed the way she seemed to gravitate toward Greg, even before she and Neal broke it off.

Still, these outsiders made them nervous at times, but they didn't feel they could so cruelly turn them away either. So they stayed and became apart of their town. It wasn't the life they had all imagined, but for the circumstances, it wasn't a horrible one either.

Snow blanketed their former town, which was starting to fall into disrepair, though it had fared much better than most cities. That afternoon, in particular, Emma returned from a snowy patrol, one which Neal had accompanied her and she looked around the upper level of the library. The weather was getting bad so anyone that wasn't beneath the library at the moment would soon need to go there. She was surprised to see that her parents had already returned from hunting though and she worried that meant they didn't get anything. The animals were becoming fewer and far between. With sources of protein dwindling, it was a very big concern for them and they had been discussing moving to a warmer climate. But that came with a lot of risks too. Somehow, despite everything, Storybrooke still seemed offer a sliver of protection that other places just didn't have. And they were reluctant to leave that, especially since it seemed the soil was still rich for their growing needs.

"Hey sweetie...everything okay?" Snow asked. She sighed.

"Yeah...it's pretty quiet, but the storm is getting worse. I think we're going to be snowed in for a few days," she mentioned, as she sat down by the fire with Neal to warm.

"Well...we managed to get an elk earlier. It should feed us all for the duration of the storm," David mentioned. Emma looked surprised.

"Where the hell did you two find an elk?" she asked. He smiled.

"I know, we were surprised too, but I think all the animal migrations are so off that this one just wandered here somehow. He was a big one too, but no match for one of your mother's arrows," he said, as he looked at her fondly. She still marveled at how in love they were. It had never dulled between them and she had seen plenty of that happen among other members of their town. The situation they were in was dire and it had a way of souring the goodness and love in some people. Thankfully, her parents' love only seemed to strengthen and remained a pillar of hope for many of them. Still, she knew how grim their situation was growing and Rumple chose that moment to remind them.

"I know we don't want to discuss it...but I think we all know that the chances of everyone surviving another winter like this one are almost non-existent," he said. Belle put her book down at that.

"Rumple…" she started to chide.

"I'm sorry Belle...believe me, I do not like to think about it. Animals are hard to find, medicine will run out by the next winter, the water could be polluted by then if what's going on in the cities continues, and Gods forbid if we have a bad crop this summer…" he said. Emma lowered her head and glanced at her parents. She watched her father put his arm around her mother and pillow her head against his chest. Her heart ached. She had finally found them and learned that they really did love her. She had learned that giving her up was the last thing they ever wanted to do. She had grown to love them deeply and admire their true love and devotion to each other, their family, and their people. Just a few weeks ago, she had witnessed that devotion when there wasn't enough food to go around. Her parents opted to go hungry in favor of her and Henry getting to eat. She had argued with them for nearly an hour, but they never budged. It was the first night that it really sank in that she could lose them and so shortly after she had finally found them. She hadn't slept a wink that night because of it and while her mother's hope speeches gave everyone some comfort, it was quickly setting in that they were in a hopeless situation. No one really knew what to say. There were pros and cons to staying put. And pros and cons to migrating to a new place. It felt like a no win situation. But their contemplation was interrupted when someone burst into the library, bleeding from his belly.

"Help me…" he cried, as he collapsed onto the floor.

"Oh my God…" Emma cried.

"Someone get Whale!" David called, as Archie hurried to the elevator and they turned the man over to examine his wound.

"Gun shot…" David said.

"I don't believe it…" Neal uttered, as he stared at the man.

"What? Do you know him?" Emma asked.

"Yeah...it's Hook," he answered.

"Hook?" Snow asked.

"Yeah...Captain Hook. Killian Jones," Neal responded.

"He's right…but that's impossible," Regina said.

"How come Mom?" Henry asked.

"Because he didn't come over with the curse, sweetie," she answered.

"Wait...he was left behind?" David questioned and she nodded.

"Then how the hell did he get here?" Neal asked.

"I don't know...but we need to find out," Emma replied.

"You think that if he got here that he might have a way back?" Belle asked.

"It's possible...with Hook, you never know," Neal replied.

"And with Hook...his ship the Jolly Roger is never far behind him," Rumple stated.

"The Harbor...we'll go check it out," David decided, as he took Snow's hand.

"I'll come too," Emma said.

"And me...I know Hook's ship pretty well," Neal added. She looked at him strangely.

"You do?" she asked.

"Long story...I'll tell you on the way," he replied, as they bundled up, just as Hook started to groan and Whale arrived.

"Belly wound," David told him, as the doctor examined him.

"It won't be easy...but there's an exit wound so that's in his favor. He'll need blood, but I don't see any major damage to any organs. I should be able to operate and save him," Whale said. Rumple was silent and his gaze remained trained on the pirate.

"Rumple?" Belle questioned.

"Where is she?" he asked, as Hook opened his bleary eyes to look at him.

"I know you didn't come here alone...where is she?" he asked again.

"Who?" Snow asked.

"Cora…" Hook groaned.

"My mother?" Regina exclaimed.

"Curse is broken...we came," he said, as he faded away.

"They came for revenge," Rumple surmised.

"But they walked into something they weren't expecting," David deduced.

"Hook...HOOK!" Regina cried, as she gently slapped his face.

"Where is my mother?" she asked, as he looked up at her.

"Dead…" he croaked, shocking them all. Surely whatever Cora had planned when she got to Storybrooke wouldn't have been good for any of them, but she had obviously had no idea the state of this world when she entered it.

"She knows me...she was expecting to walk into this town and have magic to use for her agenda," Rumple surmised.

"But instead she walked into the end of the world. The question is...who killed her and who shot him?" David wondered, as they went about arming themselves. Investigating Hook's ship now seemed like a more dangerous venture.

"Be careful...all of you," Belle said. They nodded, as the four of them left to investigate Hook's ship. There was really no telling who was out there now, but if there was a chance that the pirate might have had a way out of this ruined world and back home to their land...then it was a risk they had to take.


	9. Unwelcome Interlopers

**AN: Thanks for the great response! If you have a prompt for this verse, please leave a review or PM me!**

 **Everything is canon up until the end of 1x22 and then it's completely AU after that point. Again, please consider leaving a review. They really are greatly appreciated. This one is winding down. After this chapter, there is one more and an epilogue. I am happy with how this one ended and I think you will be too. I really like this verse, but much like Witness Protection, there isn't a lot of places for it to go so I wrapped it up in a nice bow I think. :) Let me know what you think.**

 **Here are individual responses to reviews:**

 **MissSunnyGirl: Yep, chapter 9 is here and chapter 10 and the epilogue will follow in a week or so. Hope you enjoy. :)**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Yes, Cain will be a very interesting villain. Yep, we have some Swanfire here. They're finding their way back to each other. Snow is definitely a bad ass for sure. The answer to who shot Hook and where Cora is will be answered in this chapter. Yep, Snowing and Swanfire are off to investigate. Yep, no magic, so Cora was caught majorly off guard. Glad you're enjoying it. :)**

 **Grace5231973: The extent of Cain's involvement is revealed in this chapter. Yes, he's definitely as bad if not worse, not that Cora will really be missed. But it gets dicey for a moment or two. I liked the way the whole thing came out so I think you will too. :)**

 **Number Ten: Yep, if there is one thing about Hook, he always makes an entrance. The extent of Cain's involvement and Cora's fate is revealed in this chapter. Survival is key and it comes down to the wire. Yeah, someone did a timeline years back when the show first started. I don't even think it's up anywhere or exists anymore. It was only through season 4 too, but I've always kind of followed that and they had the curse breaking on Feb 28th, 2012 so I've always kept that timing, at least when I'm going by canon. :)**

 **OncerLife28: Yep, the plot definitely thickens in this chapter! Glad you enjoyed it.**

Love in a Ruined World

Chapter 9: Unwelcome Interlopers

Belle gently dabbed a cool cloth on Hook's forehead, all while giving him a very wary look.

"Thank you love," he said, as he noticed her weariness.

"I take it you remember me," he muttered.

"All too well, Captain," she answered.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry for that. It was never personal...just a man seeking revenge," he said, as he looked at the Crocodile.

"I'm sure you understand that," he added.

"Comparing us will not bode well for you, pirate," Rumple hissed. Hook smirked and looked to Regina.

"It's lovely to see you again, Your Majesty," he said.

"She was supposed to be dead years ago...I saw her in the tomb, back in our land," Regina said.

"Yes...that was a deception, I'm afraid. Cora knew you didn't want her to come with you and the curse, but she also knew that you'd need your mother someday," he replied.

"Well, I don't...she would have caused nothing but trouble," Regina spat.

"That's an understatement, though I would have enjoyed seeing the life leave her eyes," Rumple agreed.

"Rumple…" Belle scolded.

"I'm sorry Belle, but Cora would have burned this town to the ground if she was given the opportunity," he said.

"Aye...that was her plan, among other things. She was so sure there was magic here when we came through the portal," he mentioned.

"You know, I imagined a lot of things when you told me about the curse, but nothing quite as bad as this. You really condemned your subjects to some deplorable conditions," he added.

"You think I did this?" Regina questioned.

"You mean this isn't the curse?" he asked.

"No...I happened to curse us to a very nice town, with modern amenities. This all happened as the curse was breaking and I had nothing to do with it," Regina replied.

"I'm not sure I understand," he said.

"There was an apocalyptic type event in the outside world that happened just as Emma broke the curse. Believe it or not, Storybrooke fared a bit better than the rest of the world," Belle replied.

"Yes...and the potion I made to bring magic to Storybrooke was destroyed in the fall out," Rumple added.

"Too bad for you," Hook leered.

"This world is ruined. Animals are becoming scarce, the winters are too harsh, and if we have a bad crop in the warmer months, then it's all over. We're not even sure we'll all survive this coming winter," Regina said.

"Well then...perhaps I'll end up being your Savior," Hook replied.

"You're no Savior. If you have a way back, you'll help us in order to save your own skin," Rumple retorted.

"Details," Hook said, hissing in pain, as Whale arrived, scrubbed as best as he could be in these conditions and ushered them all away, except for his nurse.

"Okay nurse...go with the ether," he said, as she used the crude method to put their patient to sleep, before Whale picked up his scalpel.

* * *

When they arrived at Hook's ship, Emma and Neal trudged through the snow and up the ramp. David held Snow's hand, as they carefully followed them onto the ship.

"Hook was right," Emma called to her father, as he kept his hand in Snow's, but decidedly blocked her view of the body. He had never seen the woman before and only knew her by the deeds his wife had described to him. There was a bullet in the center of her forehead, a calculated shot and there was still a look of surprise on her face, as her eyes were frozen open in death.

"She knew my father well, according to him. Whoever did this probably encountered them and she likely didn't even think for a moment that there might be no magic," Neal offered in explanation.

"Which means they didn't even have time to even look out over the horizon at town. Seeing the ruin might have clued them in that something wasn't right," Emma said.

"Which means someone may have seen the ship coming into port," David added, as he felt his wife slowly peek around his shoulder.

"Snow…" he warned, as he watched her face and she swallowed thickly. The carnage was not for someone even with a strong stomach. It was troubling even for him and they both had unfortunately seen worse during their war to take back the Kingdom. Still...that was a long time ago and he hated the thought of her or their daughter seeing this.

Snow put a hand to her mouth and then closed her eyes, as he took her in his arms.

"Mom...are you okay?" Emma asked. Snow nodded.

"She was a terrible woman…" the raven haired beauty said.

"Mom...it's okay," Emma assured.

"No...I shouldn't feel relieved that she's gone. That's wrong," Snow chided herself. David sighed and gently stroked her back in a soothing manner.

"Not with all that you've been through, my darling. Especially since we both know that she was the catalyst for most of it," he reasoned, as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

"He's right, Mom...you have nothing to be sorry for. This woman was clearly coming here to hurt our family," Emma said.

"She's right...I've been through Henry's book and she even hurt my Dad. I think you know that getting one up on him is not easy, but this woman did. She was dangerous to us all, even Henry. I'm not afraid to say that I'm glad she got a bullet in her brain," Neal said bluntly.

"She started all this. She put Regina on her path, which led to me growing up alone," Emma reminded, as Snow sniffed.

"I know...oh Emma, I'm so sorry. If I had just never listened to her…" Snow cried.

"Mom...it's not your fault. You were just a little girl that had lost her own mother," Emma said, as she hugged her mother tightly.

"She's right, my darling," David added, as he pressed a kiss to her hat covered head. Snow nodded.

"I'm sorry...it's just seeing her brought up a lot of bad memories," she said, as David put his arms around her from behind and hugged her close.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he assured, as he pecked her on the lips.

"He's right...but we do need to figure out who did this, because they shot Hook too. To shoot someone in the head like this is savage, which means we're dealing with someone possibly just as ruthless as Cora," Neal surmised.

"I really hate it when you're right," Emma said, as she poked around the deck and frozen when she came upon a cage with a man inside.

"Uh guys...we have another body!" she called, as she examined him.

"Is he alive?" Neal asked, as she put her hand through the bars and placed two fingers to his pulse point. Her heart sank, as she found none.

"No...he's dead," she replied, as looked at his wounds.

"Two gunshot wounds to the chest," Emma said.

"Whoever he was...obviously was Cora and Hook's prisoner," Neal added.

"And not a threat, but they shot him anyway," David said bitterly.

"People are ruthless now. Seems like humanity is one thing some people are short on nowadays," Neal said, also in a bitter tone.

"What's this…" Emma wondered aloud, as she saw a string around his neck with something attached to it. She gave it a small tug and extracted the item.

"What is it?" Snow asked.

"Some dried up...bean?" she said in confusion, but Neal's eyes widened, as he grabbed it from her hand and looked at it in awe.

"This isn't just any bean...this is a magic bean," he realized.

"It looks dead though," Emma replied.

"That doesn't mean there's still not magic in it," David said, with hope in his voice.

"This could be it...this could be the key to saving everyone," Snow realized, as she smiled at him, until they heard the cocking of a gun from behind them.

"You must be the person that put the bullet in these two," David said dryly.

"Good guess...now it's your turn," the man hissed.

"No…" Snow pleaded, as his eyes caught sight of her.

"Well, well...aren't you a looker," he commented, as he looked Snow up and down.

"The blonde too...you keep beautiful company," he added

"You know, blondes are always fun...but if I'm honest, dark haired broads are what really get my motor running, if you get my drift," he leered.

"Call her that again and we're going to have a problem," David warned. The man chuckled.

"You're about three seconds away from a bullet in your brain. What exactly are you going to do?" he questioned.

"Please...don't hurt him," Snow begged, frantic at the thought of losing him again. And this time it wouldn't be to a curse. This time it would be to death.

"Oh and what are you willing to do to see that I don't?" he leered to her. Snow swallowed thickly and looked tearfully at her husband.

"You know what...I'll find out what you can do soon enough. I have a feeling you're going to keep me very warm tonight," he leered, as four men came onto the deck of the ship.

"Take her. The blonde too," he said, as they advanced.

"No way in hell…" David growled, as one of them grabbed Snow's arm. She responded in kind by kicking her foot hard into his gut. The man that had his gun on David snarled and pointed it at her and David capitalized on the opportunity. He threw his weight into the other man and grappled for the gun. He held the other man's arms up over their heads and the gun went off several times, harmlessly spending bullets into the air, as they fought for it.

"Bad mistake, pretty boy," he snarled, as he kneed David in the abdomen. Meanwhile, Emma and Neal fought off the others and dodged bullets themselves. Emma managed to find a fishing spear and after her assailant shot at her, she hurled the spear at him, impaling him in the chest, killing him.

Neal climbed the mast and grabbed one of the ropes in the bird's nest that was attached to a pulley. He watched the two men corner her and launched one of the rope pulleys down on them, smashing one of them in the head with it, knocking him out.

"Nice shot," Emma called, as the other man started firing his gun up at Neal, who ducked inside the bird's nest. He waited until he stopped firing and Emma beamed him with a metal rod she'd found on the deck. He growled and ran at her. Neal made his move and used the rope to slide down with the pulley. He kicked the man and sent him flying off the ship, into the icy ocean waters.

Meanwhile, Snow and David fought the leader, who proved to be insanely strong, as David traded punches with him. Snow waited for her opportunity and beamed him across the back with another fishing spear she had found, getting his attention away from her husband.

"That was a bad mistake, girl," the leader hissed.

"Woman," she corrected, as she thrust the spear at him, but he caught it by the shaft and yanked it away from her, before tossing it away and stalking toward her.

"Bad, bad mistake," he taunted, as he raised his arm, intending to backhand her, but his arm was caught from behind, as David tackled him with a fierce growl and threw him against the mast.

"The only mistake was yours in even thinking about touching her or my daughter," David growled, not caring that outsiders had a hard time wrapping their heads around Emma being his daughter since they looked the same age.

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, but I assure you that I'm not a man you want to cross. I'm from the big leagues, pal and you're way out of your depth," he promised.

"We'll see," David retorted.

"You're from New York," Neal muttered.

"Bingo...and I'm not just from New York. I run New York," he boasted.

"So you've come here...thinking you'll run here too," David deduced.

"So there are brains in that pretty head," he jabbed snidely.

"I got word from an informant that things are a bit rosier here in Maine and I decided to come see why. Not sure why this spot of a town fared better than the rest, but I intend to make it a part of my growing empire," he stated.

"You're Cane. I heard about you before you left New York," Neal stated.

"Right again, not that it matters since you're about to get lead poisoning," he threatened. Snow moved in and beamed him with an ore across the back. David capitalized on that and swept the man's legs out from under him. He unsheathed his sword and pointed the tip at Cane's throat, allowing his daughter to cuff him.

"Sorry...this isn't New York," she warned, as they hauled him to his feet.

"Who told you about us?" David questioned. Cane smirked.

"I'm not going to out my mole," he refuted.

"And if I don't check in soon...my other men will come for me," he warned.

"Just shut up and move," Neal snapped, as they left the Harbor and took him to the station. They had the dried bean and now they just needed to see if there was any magic left in it. For that, they needed to take it to Rumpelstiltskin.


	10. Hope Will Return

**AN: Thanks for the great response! If you have a prompt for this verse, please leave a review or PM me!**

 **Everything is canon up until the end of 1x22 and then it's completely AU after that point. Again, please consider leaving a review. They really are greatly appreciated. This one is winding down. After this chapter, there is an epilogue and that will be posted on Sunday. I am happy with how this one ended and I think you will be too. I really like this verse, but much like Witness Protection, there isn't a lot of places for it to go so I wrapped it up in a nice bow I think. :) Let me know what you think.**

 **Oh and there is one F-bomb in here and I wouldn't have put it in, but it comes from the bad guy and you know a guy like that is going to use the worst language. So don't get bothered by it and chide me for it. Seriously don't. Cause bad guys don't care about sensitivities and it would be unrealistic for him to use a lesser word.**

 **Here are individual responses to reviews:**

 **Grace5231973: Yep, we are complete agreement when it comes to Cora. I never have and never will have any sympathy for her. Yeah, I truly believe that too. That it was easier for Regina to hate Snow than to go after her mother. :)**

 **Naomi Blue: I know, no one will miss Cora, but Tiny is a different story. I didn't want to kill him, but with the way these people are, I knew it wasn't realistic for them to leave him alive. They shoot even people that aren't a threat. Your question on the bean is answered though. :)**

 **Number Ten: I know, I really, really didn't want to do that to Tiny. But...these types that we're dealing with would have never left him alive. But yes, Cora deserved it. Yep, technology is getting closer to magic all the time. Oh yeah, they confront the moles in this chapter and it's interesting. :)**

 **Sammii16: You're welcome, glad you liked it. :)**

 **sexystarwarslover: Your question on the bean gets answered in this chapter, so buckle up for the ride! Everyone agrees. No one misses Cora. I know, I didn't want to do that to Tiny, but it was unrealistic not to. I love me some protective daddy Charming too. Yep, he tangled with the wrong family! :)**

Love in a Ruined World

Chapter 10: Hope Will Return

David marched their prisoner into the station, but the man's smirk had not disappeared. Neal and Emma put the other men that they had subdued in one cell, while he headed for the other with their leader.

"You know, your pixie has spunk," Cane said, as he craned his neck to look at Snow.

"I like spunk...I love when they fight me," he leered and then cried out, as David knocked his head into the bars, before shoving him into the cell and locking it.

"Keep staring at her and I'll gouge your eyes out," the prince threatened, but the the other man only glared back at him.

"And for that, I'll make sure your death is excruciating," he promised, as he looked at Snow again.

"And I'll make sure she gets to watch. The last thing you'll see is your blood spraying across her face while I fuck her!" he promised, causing David to snap and reach for his neck through the bars, while he and his men laughed at him.

"David!" Snow cried, as she pulled him back.

"Baby...look at me. He can't get to me or Emma and he never will," she promised, as she held his face in her hands.

"Keep telling yourself that, pixie...because my army is on its way to this precious little spot and then it's all over," he warned.

"Dad...we need to get that item to Gold," Emma said, as she also put herself in his line of vision. He started to calm down, knowing that escaping to their homeland may be the only chance for them to survive now.

"Leroy…" he said, as the dwarves walked in.

"If he moves...make a mess out of him with your pick axe," David ordered. Leroy smirked.

"With pleasure," he said, as the dwarves took watch duty. David spared another hard look at Cane, before taking his wife's hand and leading her out, with Emma and Neal following.

"He's too dangerous to be kept alive," David said.

"You're not a killer," Snow replied, as they stopped in the street.

"But he is Snow. A killer, a rapist...he's more of a monster than any we've possibly ever encountered and that's saying something," David said.

"He's right...the stuff that he's done would make us all retch right here in the streets," Neal agreed.

"Then New York...that's all him? The regime, the starvation?" Emma asked. Neal nodded.

"He's got all the gold, which is now currency again. Which means he has the army, all the guns and ammo. He's hoarded all the food, supplies, medicine, and has his men just randomly execute people to quote, get the population numbers under control," Neal said, as he looked at Snow and Emma.

"He even made getting pregnant a capital crime, though just about everything is with him. I've heard that he executes pregnant women and the man that got her that way," he added. Snow gasped and felt the bile rise in her throat.

"Then we need to hope that this bean still has some magic," David said.

"And if it doesn't?" Emma asked.

"Then I suggest, as much as I hate it, that we execute Cane and his lackeys. Then we migrate...it's the only way we'll have a chance if his army is on the way," Neal answered.

"I know it's not our way...but that man is a sadistic, genocidal maniac," Neal added.

"Agreed," David said.

"I'd just like to know how the hell he even found out about us. I mean, he didn't seem like he just stumbled into town. He was looking for this place," Emma replied.

"Then we have a mole," David said, as he looked at Neal.

"Which means it's someone that you brought with you," he added and the other man sighed. David was right and he had to confront the four people that had come from New York with him.

As they arrived back at Town Hall, they quickly found Rumple, Belle, and Regina.

"What did you find?" Regina asked.

"More trouble than we could imagine," David answered.

"I can see...your forehead is bleeding," Regina said.

"She's right...honey, hold still," Snow said, as she dabbed the blood.

"Cora was dead and there was someone in a cage that they were bringing with them. Don't know who he was, but they shot him too," Neal said.

"They?" Belle asked.

"The guy that gave my dad this cut. He and his men are in the jail cells now, but the guy's name is Cane," Emma explained.

"Wait...Cane?" Rumple asked. Neal nodded.

"Yeah...he's the guy I told you about. The tyrant in New York and he came here with some pretty specific information," he replied, as he spotted Greg, Tamara, Michael, and John in the distance.

"A mole," Rumple said.

"He said that his army is on the way here…" Snow said fearfully, as she continued to hold a piece of cloth against the cut on her husband's forehead.

"Then we're all dead…" Rumple realized.

"Maybe not...we might have also found a sliver of hope," David responded, as Emma opened her hand and showed him the dead bean.

"Where...where did you find this?" Rumple asked in amazement.

"The guy in the cage had it...but it's dead," Emma replied.

"No...it's dried up. There's a difference," he said, as he looked at Regina.

"My vault is nearly depleted. I used the last of what I had to retrieve the poison apple," she reminded.

"But I still have some base potions and you still have the equipment. If we can combine what we have and re-hydrate this bean...we can open a portal," Rumple said.

"And lead our people back to our land," David said hopefully, as he looked at his wife.

"Get what you need and let's get to my vault," Regina replied. He nodded, as he and Belle went to gather what sparse ingredients he still had.

"The four of you need to get everyone ready for a quick escape, especially if there is an army on the way," Regina said. David nodded, as he put his hands on Henry's shoulders. He and Snow would keep close tabs on him in this chaos.

"We'll be ready. Town square is a large enough area to open a portal," he said. Regina nodded and looked at Emma and Neal.

"You two need to find that mole. We are not taking him or her with us," she said. Neal nodded, as the two of them went to question the four outsiders. Rumple and Belle returned, as they set off with Regina.

"Charming...if this doesn't work…" she said, as she kissed him passionately.

"If this doesn't work…" she said again, breathlessly.

"It will, Snow...it will," he promised, as he held her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly again. She nodded, as their lips parted and they joined hands.

"It's time to take action. We all need to gather in the town square," David announced.

"What kind of action?" Archie asked.

"We don't want to give everyone false hope in case our first plan doesn't come to fruition, but we may have a way out," Snow replied.

"And if this doesn't work?" Geppetto asked.

"Then we'll need to migrate. It's become too dangerous to stay in Storybrooke," he announced, causing a bit of alarm.

"Bring only what you can carry and what is absolutely essential," Snow called, as people were quick to gather a few sparse belongings, as well as coats and blankets.

"Gramps...do you think the bean will work?" Henry asked, as David knelt down in front of him.

"We hope so…" he said, as Snow took his hand and they led everyone to the town square.

"Looks like everyone is on the move," Tamara mentioned, as they started to gather their stuff.

"Not so fast for you four," Emma replied.

"Excuse me?" Tamara questioned.

"Cane is here and he knows some pretty specific stuff, which means we have a mole," Neal said.

"You four, besides Neal, were the only ones that even knew about this guy...so it's time to come clean," Emma replied.

"Are you accusing us of ratting this town out to Cane?" Michael asked.

"Why would we do that? That wouldn't get any of us anywhere," John reasoned.

"Unless you're working for him," Emma said, as she looked at Tamara. The woman smirked and her eyes widened in surprise, as Greg grabbed Neal and put a knife to his throat.

"You're taking us with you, Swan…" he said.

"Like hell…" Neal growled.

"Why? Why would you bring Cane here?" Emma demanded to know.

"Oh that wasn't him...that was me. Let's just say, he's promised me a very good life if I help him soak up all the resources left in this world and I was only too happy to sell this place out, even if there's no magic here anymore," Tamara said.

"What the hell do you know about magic?" Emma demanded to know.

"I know everything...all of it and its disease on this world. It wouldn't even surprise me if it's the reason this world was met with an apocalypse," Tamara responded.

"Oh so now you're blaming us?" Emma hissed.

"If the shoe fits," she challenged.

"What the hell...did you know all this time? About me?" Neal questioned. She smirked.

"It was nothing personal, Neal. My mission is to find and destroy magic, but I guess the world decided to purge us of both science and magic, sending us back to the dark ages," she said.

"Nothing personal?!" He exclaimed. They had been over for a while, but it still hurt that it had never been real between them.

"So you're a quack...got it," Emma said, as she glared at Greg, who still held a dagger to Neal's throat.

"You're not going anywhere unless you take us to the Queen now. I've waited too long for my revenge," he growled.

"Let him go and what the hell are you talking about?!" Emma cried.

"Twenty-eight years ago, my father and I stumbled upon this little town that just appeared out of nowhere. The Queen killed my father! You should hate her as much as I do for what she did to your parents!" Greg exclaimed. Emma put her hands up.

"I have my issues with Regina...I get it. But killing her isn't going to bring your father back. If you seek revenge, then you're just like her," Emma warned.

"Don't patronize me…" Greg growled, but then he was beamed over the head with a pipe, falling unconscious to the ground. They found John there and his brother hit Tamara, before she could react.

"I'm not sure which one of them was the leak, but it wasn't us," Michael said.

"We're not from this land either and we beg you to let us come," John replied.

"Wait...you're from the Enchanted forest too?" Neal asked.

"No...we're from nineteenth century London, actually. Long story," John replied.

"Wait...it can't be…" Neal said, as he looked at them both.

"It's us…Baelfire," Michael replied, as his eyes widened.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?!" he cried, as he hugged them.

"We knew how you felt about your past and we've had our own agenda all these years, I'm afraid. But it's only because we're trying to find Wendy," John said.

"She's still in Neverland," Michael added.

"Okay, I'm really lost, but we're sure as hell not going to Neverland," Emma said.

"No...but if we stay here, we'll never find a way to get her back," John said.

"But if we get back to a place with magic, then we just might find a way to get to Wendy again," Michael replied.

"Say no more...let's go," Neal said, as he spared one last look at Tamara. It was clear that she was probably their mole and Greg wanted revenge on Regina, which would only end up hurting Henry. He didn't feel badly at leaving them behind.

* * *

"This is it...this is all we have," Regina fretted, as the potion boiled in the beaker and she paced nervously.

"It will work...it has to," Rumple said, as he monitored their work. Honestly, Snow and Charming's hopeful mantras were starting to rub off on him, because it was exactly something they would say. If he was honest, he had no idea if this was going to work. It was a mish-mash of benign potions and a few magical herbs they had scraped up from Regina's potions cabinet.

"If you start spouting a hope speech, I'm going to stab myself," Regina joked.

"Don't worry, I'll leave the hope speeches to Snow White. But I'm trying to be more optimistic, as requested," he mused, as he looked at Belle, who smiled at him.

"I'm on the hope train with the Charmings. This will work," she said in encouragement.

"Well...we're about to find out for sure. Here's the moment of truth," Regina said, as she twisted a lever and they watched the liquid travel through the makeshift chemistry set and into the vial, which held the dried bean. There was a large puff of smoke and they waited for it to clear with bated breath. When it did, Regina picked up the vial and they examined the now white, sparkling bean inside.

"It...worked…" Rumple uttered, the surprise clear in his voice. Regina smiled.

"It did...we did it…" she said in awe.

"See...I told you," Belle mused, as she kissed his cheek.

"Let's get back to the square and get the hell out of his hellish land," Regina said, as they hurried out of the vault. Regina was leaving a lot behind, but she could care less about any of those meager possessions. She had Henry and her once enemies were actually her family now, which she found she didn't hate in the slightest. She had come to this land for a new beginning and now she would return to her homeland with that new beginning in tow...


	11. Epilogue

**AN: Thanks for the great response! If you have a prompt for this verse, please leave a review or PM me!**

 **Everything is canon up until the end of 1x22 and then it's completely AU after that point. Again, please consider leaving a review. They really are greatly appreciated. This one is winding down. After this chapter, there is an epilogue and that will be posted on Sunday. I am happy with how this one ended and I think you will be too. I really like this verse, but much like Witness Protection, there isn't a lot of places for it to go so I wrapped it up in a nice bow I think. :) Let me know what you think.**

 **Here are individual responses to reviews:**

 **MerlockVonBaron: Yes, John and Michael get to go with the survivors and hopefully find Wendy.**

 **Naomi Blue: Yep, the bean worked and I really didn't want to kill Tiny, but there was no way a guy like that wouldn't just shoot everyone, no questions asked. Yep, bye bye to Greg and Tamara. It will definitely be interesting to see what has become of their new home and if it's any better off than where they are.**

 **SecretLoveCara: Welcome back! Glad you decided to pick the story up again. Yes, it will be interesting to see what awaits them in the EF. I haven't read 5th Wave. I loosely based this story on the premise of the show Revolution. Glad you're enjoying it. :)**

 **Grace5231973: I know, it's kind of sad they are leaving people behind, but maybe they might take care of Cane. We'll see. ;)**

 **Sammii16: You're welcome**

 **Number Ten: Yep, everything is changing and Pan is still out there, but he won't be in this story. :)**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Yep, Regina has really come a long way and walked the path to redemption, albeit differently here. Yeah, Cane was just really stupid to say that kind of stuff to David. He's lucky to be breathing still and that might not hold for long. Yep, Greg and Tamara got dealt with pretty swiftly. Yeah, it's all down to the wire and that bean pretty much is salvation at this point.**

Love in a Ruined World

Epilogue

"Come on...you need to get that lock open now," Cane growled to his subordinate, as he attempted to pick it. He had already gotten the rest of them out and were now trying to free their boss.

"I've almost got it," he insisted.

"Boss...shouldn't we wait? I mean, our army is still at least an hour out," another said.

"I don't care! No one humiliates me and gets away with it. And the ones that put me in here are going to be the first to pay," he promised, as the lock snapped open and he filed out.

"Time to kill some rats," Cane hissed.

* * *

"You think Tamara was the mole?" Snow asked, as she spotted the unconscious woman on the floor.

"We think so and Greg is bad news too. Hopefully we won't have to worry about that too much longer," Emma said, as they finished gathering a few essentials and then made their way back out to the square.

"How is he?" Emma asked, as they approached Whale, who had Hook on a stretcher.

"He made it through surgery. If we stay here, he has a shot if infection doesn't set in, but it's not a guarantee. If we make it back to a place with magic, then he can be healed," Whale told them. Snow nodded, as she saw them hurrying to them in the distance.

"Charming…" she called to him, as he was busy getting everyone lined up. He hurried to her and they waited with bated breath.

"It worked!" Belle exclaimed and Snow cried out in relief, as the two hugged tightly.

"We're going home?" she asked. Belle nodded.

"We're going to make it," she said happily. David smiled and caught his wife, as she jumped into his arms. He laughed and kissed her soundly.

"You two can make out later. Let's blow this Popsicle stand," Emma said, as she and Regina each took one of Henry's hands.

"Okay...this is it everyone. The portal should stay open long enough for everyone to go through as long as we keep moving through it. No dawdling or hesitation," David advised, before nodding to Rumple. He tossed it to the ground and a large swirling green portal opened. People began pouring through it, just as they heard a gunshot. David ducked and covered Snow with his body, as the maniac fired his gun.

"Go…" he urged.

"I'm _not_ leaving without you," she refused, as she stood up and drew an arrow from her quiver. Aiming expertly, she landed one directly in Cane's chest, but unfortunately not in his heart. Still, the wound sent him tumbling to the ground, screaming in agony.

"Nice shot…" David complimented, as he pulled her back down, as his men started firing their guns at them.

"Keep going!" David called to everyone else, as they kept filing through the open portal. They heard the firing stop and Snow threaded another arrow, picking one off and then another, just as Cane struggled to get to his feet. They watched him pull the arrow out of his chest, with no small amount of pain and break it in his bare hand.

"If you thought I was going to make you two pay before...then you haven't seen anything yet," he growled, as he loaded another clip in his gun.

"Mom...Dad...that's almost everyone. Let's go!" Emma called. They got up and started toward their daughter, but Cane sprayed bullets in their direction.

"Dammit...we are not losing everything because of this prick," David growled, as he drew his sword. But Cane approached them and looked down at them smugly.

"Oh...this is going to be fun. I'm curious to see which one of you will scream the most. Let's find out, shall we?" he asked.

"Hey creepo!" Emma shouted, getting his attention, just in time for him to find himself impaled with a dwarf pickaxe, thanks to their daughter and Grumpy. They looked back at her and she hurried them to her. David swiped his blade, killing the final guy and they looked at Cane, as he lay bleeding to death with no pity. Without him, perhaps the people of this world would now have a fighting chance and now they would take theirs.

"I just got you guys…I'm not losing you now," she said. They smiled at her and they followed Neal and Grumpy through the portal, just as it closed…

* * *

 _One Year Later_

Things were not perfect upon their return to the Enchanted Forest. There was a lot of rebuilding to be done, but that was decidedly easier with magic. Their experiences together in an apocalyptic Storybrooke had proven to strengthen the prominent ties between them all that were already there and the family they had built together stuck.

Regina used her magic to rebuild their castle and in turn, Snow and David decided that the three of them could jointly rule both Kingdoms together. This naturally made Henry very happy and he split his time between his grandparent's castle where Emma lived with them, Regina's castle, and the Dark Castle, which was a lot less dark now with Belle and Neal under the roof.

Emma and Neal were dating and rebuilding their relationship. They were in no hurry to marry and liked things they way they were, as they co-parented their son with Regina. Belle and Rumple were very happy as well, as he had finally learned that he did in fact love her more than magic. He was very glad to have it back, but had realized that their experience without magic meddling in their relationship was a priceless venture. It had taught him a lot and though he would always crave power, he had his son back and was able to ease away from using it as a crutch.

For Snow and Charming, they continued to build their relationship with Emma and were closer than ever now that they no longer had to worry about the harsh realities of the post apocalyptic world they had escaped. No one was surprised though, least of all Emma, when Snow discovered that she was pregnant shortly after they had gotten back.

Emma was happy for her parents, ensuring them that didn't begrudge them the opportunity to grow their family and keenly pointed out that had they raised her as they planned, she probably would have had a bunch of siblings anyway, so it was about damn time.

"Hey buddy…" Emma cooed to her baby brother. She was dressed in a red ball gown, only because Snow had begged her, and saw the people gathering in the courtyard below the balcony. Her baby brother wore a christening-type robe, while her mother donned a beautiful white gown with gold embellishments, along with her mother's tiara.

"So...you're going to present him to the Kingdom on that balcony?" Emma asked curiously. She nodded.

"It's what we would have done for you had we raised you here," David said, as he approached, dressed in a velvety red tunic with gold embellishments, black leather pants, and boots. Snow smiled at him and they shared a tender kiss.

"On the balcony...like the Lion King?" Emma asked and David chuckled.

"No...not like the Lion King," Snow chided. Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Okay...a little like the Lion King," she relented, as they shared a smile and Snow handed their son to him.

"Mom!" Henry called, as he rushed to her.

"Whoa kid...looking handsome," she complimented, as Neal arrived.

"Wow...you in a ballgown," he complimented.

"Yeah, don't get used to it, Cassidy," she teased.

Rumple and Belle followed him in, him in a royal blue coat and white pants and her in a golden dress. Belle hugged them both, while Rumple and David shared a curt nod.

"Is it time?" Henry asked.

"Almost...we're not all quite here yet," Snow replied.

"Sorry I'm late…" Regina said. Those same words had once cast fear into their hearts, but that time was long passed, as Regina was now a loved member of their family.

"Where's your outlaw?" Snow whispered to her coyly.

"That's none of your business," Regina refuted playfully.

"But he's the reason your late," Snow said knowingly. Regina smirked.

"Maybe and you would know. It's a good reason to be late," she said.

"Agreed," Snow replied, as they approached the balcony.

"Thank you all for coming," Snow announced, as those that gathered quieted.

"We have all seen some trying times and just a year ago, we faced the very real possibility that our future could be cut short," Snow announced.

"But we made it because we pulled together as a family and learned that nothing is impossible when you have love on your side," David continued.

"Recently, our family has grown and we are here to introduce the Kingdom to our newest member, but first, we would like to present our first born to you," Snow said, surprising Emma.

"It's a little late...but things didn't go as planned when she was born. We were separated from her and she grew up without us, something we will always deeply regret," David said, making her tear up.

"But then she found us and saved us. We present to you, our daughter, Princess Emma," Snow announced, as there was applause.

"And our son...Prince Benjamin," David announced, as there was more applause. Their son's blue eyes were wide as he looked around and awed at the fireworks that his sister and Regina created in the sky. Not one to be outdone, Rumple added a few of his own and they watched the display together. Snow and David looked at each other, love shining in their eyes as their lips met tenderly. Ben cooed between them, not at all impressed at being ignored.

"You better get used to it, kid. They do this a lot," Emma commented. Snow and David's lips parted, as they chuckled.

"And if we didn't do this a lot and some other stuff, you two wouldn't be here," David argued.

"Too much information, dad," Emma complained. But Snow and David only shared a smile and cuddled close, as they held their son and enjoyed being with their family. This was never quite the happy ending they envisioned for sure, but it was so much better than any of them could have imagined. The best part was...it wasn't the ending and only the beginning of very long, happy lives. And then, a very long and happy eternity, for years meant nothing when you shared eternal love.

The End.


End file.
